If you ask most WNBA fans who the top three players in the league are right now, Paige Bueckers’ name would likely come up almost as often as Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark or Las Vegas Aces center A’ja Wilson. The 24-year-old Dallas Wings guard is coming off a head-turning rookie season, in which she won the WNBA and AP Rookie of the Year awards, was an All-WNBA Second Team selection, and an All-Star. This year, she ranks in the top 10 in scoring (20.6 points per game) and assists (5.9 per game), and she’s got the Wings currently occupying the final playoff spot.
While both impressive accomplishments, it didn’t help Bueckers much in ESPN’s recent top 50 player ranking, where she came in at No. 5 behind Wilson, Clark, New York Liberty forward Breanna Stewart, and Minnesota Lynx rookie Olivia Miles, respectively. She leads the Wings in scoring, assists, and minutes per game (32.2), and she’s second in rebounds (4.1 per game), and third in steals (0.8 per game). If the Wings are to hold onto their playoff spot, they’re going to need Bueckers to take her game to another level.
No. 1 overall pick Azzi Fudd is out for the year with a knee injury. Behind Bueckers, Dallas has two other players scoring in double digits – Arike Ogunbowale (15.2) and Jessica Shepard (14.4). The Wings may not have a deep playoff run in them this year, but they’ve clearly taken a big step forward in their rebuild.
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