Like the popular saying goes, the simplest solution is usually the right one. The entire league has been scrambling to prevent Paige Bueckers from dominating, but the majority of them have failed. Bueckers has gone around their solutions with grace and precision, but she was finally stopped. And not once, but twice.

First, it was the Seattle Storm, who limited Bueckers to just 11 points. Speaking after the game, Nneka Ogwumike showed evidence of the respect the Wings rookie has already garnered from the league. “It means five people are guarding her. She deserves that type of respect, so we have to make sure that everyone is paying attention [to her] at all times.”

The Golden State Valkries copied the Storm blueprint and limited her to her first single-digit game of the season. Bueckers had 9 points, 9 assists, and just 1 rebound in their 90-81 loss. Speaking after the game, Wings star Myisha Hines-Allen offered a solution to the Bueckers blockout. 

“I think, yeah, that’s the next progression of our team. We know that Paige demands a lot of attention. I mean, we’ve all seen the clip of Nneka saying like that was the game plan of sending five to her. So, just everyone stepping up and being confident to knock down the shot.”

With Bueckers off color, the Wings had Maddy Siegrist leading the way with 16 points. Allen and Haley Jones added 15, while Amy Okonkwo added 12. It was a relatively more well-rounded performance from the rest of the team, even with that loss, as Bueckers pulling defenders meant others had more open looks. However, better wasn’t enough as their field goal percentage of 41% still fell short of the Valkyries’ 45.2. 

Allen further appealed to improve on their shooting, saying, “Paige demands so much attention, and that we have to step up and try to hit like the open shots, the easy shots. Um, so if we were able to do that, you know, more throughout the game, I think it’d definitely be a different outcome.”

The Wings played their best basketball in the second quarter. Bueckers still had 0 points, but she orchestrated with 4 assists. Some consistent shooting from Hines Allen, Siegrist, and Okonkwo meant they came back from an 11-point first-quarter trail to lead 38-36. Like the story has been this season, the Wings dropped off yet again, allowing the Valkyries to creep back and eventually win the match-up with a distance between the two. The rest of the team couldn’t take advantage of the open looks Bueckers’ attention was giving them while the defense continued to leak points. 

Regardless, the narrative remains. Bueckers was never treated as just a rookie. From day 1, she was a threat to the best players of the league. But after her 44-point showdown, things escalated to another level. Now, with teams blatantly devising defensive strategies around the Wings’ star, she may need to find ways to still keep scoring.

Bueckers’ role shift may be draining her scoring firepower

The injury-ravaged Dallas Wings suffered another season-ending loss. Impressive rookie JJ Quinerly exited the Sparks game early in the fourth quarter. She needed help from teammates to get to the locker room, and tests later confirmed her year was done. She was diagnosed with an ACL sprain, which meant Bueckers had to be the premier creator of the team for almost the entire game.

“She’s another pace creator and tempo changer who gets our offense going and flowing. Defensively, her ability to pressure the ball and speed up other teams is valuable. We definitely miss her presence on the floor.” Koclanes said on losing Quinnerly. 

Before their matchup against the Valkyries, Koclanes clarified that Bueckers will have a more “on the ball” role rather than being completely focused on her scoring with assists on the side. Well, the game itself was counterintuitive as her usage rate dropped from her season-wide average of 23.9% to 19.2%. However, that was probably because she was barely open throughout the match-up. While the officiating was also a problem according to Koclanes, he still credited the Valyries for cutting off Bueckers.

“You know, they threw a bunch of different coverages at her, right? They’re going to throw multiple bodies at her. Um and and she’s going to make the right play, right? So, nine assists on a night when you probably didn’t get enough attempts, but it’s tough when they’re throwing tons of bodies at you.”  Koclanes said after the game. 

In this final stretch, the Wings could actually play Bueckers more on the ball like they had planned. The Valkyries’ defense is among the best in the league. And she might have some success in her new role against other teams. However, for that, her teammates need to become genuine threats so she can get some defenders shrugged off. Her creative and scoring abilities will be tested further in these final few games as the opponents figure out how she works.