When you are drafted No. 1 overall, the pressure to perform is immense. For Paige Bueckers, that challenge became even steeper as she followed the transformative arrival of Caitlin Clark, whose impact on the WNBA has been impossible to ignore.
Yet, in her debut season with the Dallas Wings, Bueckers has not only lived up to expectations but has established herself as one of the brightest stars of the league’s new generation.
Despite joining a team that has struggled near the bottom of the standings, Bueckers has consistently delivered standout performances.
She explained her approach in a recent interview with Voice in Sport: “I just try to be the best version of myself I can be for my team at the end of the day.”
That mindset has propelled her to historic heights. On August 21, in front of more than 13,000 fans at Crypto.com Arena, Bueckers erupted for 44 points in a narrow 81-80 loss to the Los Angeles Sparks. The performance not only turned heads across the league but also cemented her place in the record books as she surpassed Cynthia Cooper for the third-longest streak of consecutive double-digit scoring games by a rookie. Her tally now stands at 29, placing her within striking distance of A’ja Wilson‘s all-time rookie record of 33.
Record-breaking rookie run
Bueckers‘ dominance has been more than a series of eye-catching performances; it has been a steady rewriting of WNBA rookie history. In July, she reached her 100th career assist while already surpassing 300 points, making her just the second rookie in league history to achieve that milestone within 19 games, joining Caitlin Clark. Only days later, she became the first WNBA rookie ever to total 350 points and 100 assists in her first 20 games.
The accolades did not stop there. Bueckers has also become the first drafted rookie guard to score in double figures in each of her first 20 games, while more recently becoming the fastest player in league history to reach 500 points and 150 assists. Averaging nearly 19 points per game, she has established herself as the frontrunner for Rookie of the Year.
But what makes her rise particularly compelling is the context. Clark, last year’s Rookie of the Year, has battled injuries and has been limited to just 13 games this season. Bueckers has taken advantage of that absence, stepping firmly into the national spotlight and staking her claim as the league’s next big draw.
Her performances have not gone unnoticed by fans. Crowds gather early at Wings games to watch her pregame warmups, and after games she is mobbed for autographs and photos. That level of attention has made her one of the faces of a WNBA season that has already set a new all-time attendance record, surpassing 2.3 million fans across the league.
Bueckers has repeatedly emphasized that she is “running her own race and not the race of comparison,” but comparisons with Clark are inevitable. Clark has been the centerpiece of the league’s marketing and has driven unprecedented fan engagement since turning professional, but with her on-court time limited, Bueckers has proven more than capable of filling the void.
Whether she surpasses Wilson’s streak or not, the 23-year-old rookie has already shifted the narrative around herself and, to some extent, around Clark. In just a few months, Paige Bueckers has gone from highly anticipated prospect to record-breaking star, giving the Dallas Wings hope for the future and the WNBA another headline act.
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