The Dallas City Hall lobby was buzzing. City council members and employees crowded every floor, leaning over balconies, eyes fixed on one spot. Why? Because it was rookie-introductory press conference. The Wings were unveiling fresh faces, and you could just feel it…this was the start of something big for women’s basketball in Dallas. Now obviously, Paige Bueckers was the headliner. The No. 1 pick, the UConn phenom, the golden girl and she’s been doing No. 1 pick things. But what we forgot was the rest of the rookie class didn’t come to play either. They came with stellar collegiate records and a point to prove.

See, every time the Wings play, and someone says “rookie shined,” it’s like there’s only one name in the convo. But actually this whole rookie class has quietly been the backbone of a struggling Dallas squad. When the season started, things looked bad. Like five players on the injury report, barely a win in sight kind of bad.

But somehow, something’s shifted. 

That loss against the Fever was weirdly enough, it lit the spark. Indiana came out swinging, opening up with a 14-0 run and stretching it to 20 by the end of the first. Looked like a blowout. But then Dallas slowly started clawing back. What was a 23-point lead got chopped to 13 by halftime. With 5:27 left in the third, NaLyssa Smith cut the gap to three. And then the fourth quarter became the rookie takeover zone.Before their next matchup with the Mystics, Coach Chris Koclanes made it very clear who he was betting on.

“It was JJ, Paige, Aziaha, that three guard lineup there closed that gap and took the lead in the 4th (vs. Indy). The more & more they get on the floor (the better)….just really excited about that draft class, their growth and their ceilings.”

He wasn’t wrong. Late in the 4th against Indiana, he went with a smaller, guard-heavy lineup featuring JJ Quinerly, Paige Bueckers, and Aziaha James. And suddenly momentum flipped. Around the 7-minute mark, Paige hit a mid-range jumper to cut the lead to five. Then came a tough 3, bringing it to just two. But then, it was Quinerly time. She hit an and-one play, and just like that, Dallas had its first lead of the night. Aziaha James wasn’t far behind as she knocked down triples, drove inside, and played like a veteran. That trio’s energy, pressure, and ball movement was absolutely electric. 

Indiana took the W, but Dallas made a serious statement. Bueckers dropped 27, while James and Quinerly chipped in with 15 each. Naturally, after the coach’s pre-game comments, social media was all in. Fans were quick to back him up, flooding timelines with proud posts about their rookies. A bunch of posts came up showing the grind and hustle with stats. That said, let us tell you that James has quietly been in double digits for five straight games now. 

Fast forward to the next game, Bueckers out with knee soreness, and you’d think the team would struggle. But no. With only eight players available and Bueckers on the sideline, the Wings played arguably their best first half of the season against the Mystics and the two rookies again won hearts.  They came out hot, built a 21-point lead, and then managed to hold off Washington’s comeback to seal a 79-71 win at home. Without Paige, the scoring load fell to Arike -obviously – but the rookies picked up the slack in a big way.

Quinerly, who started in place of Bueckers, had 13 points, four boards, and four assists by halftime. By the end, the 27th pick and Wings’s 12th pick in the Draft each finished with 15 points. With the “face of the franchise” on the bench, they held it down. Sure, Paige is having a legit Rookie of the Year campaign. But don’t sleep on the other Wings rookies, they’re proving their mettle too. 

Meanwhile, Paige is still making headlines… even from the sidelines.

Paige Bueckers steals the show from the sidelines 

The Dallas Wings may have been missing their star rookie on the floor, but Paige Bueckers wasn’t about to let her presence go unnoticed. The No. 1 overall pick missed her fifth game of the season on Saturday night due to a right knee issue. And sure, her absence could’ve hurt Dallas’ energy. 

But, thankfully, it didn’t. If anything, Bueckers brought the vibes. In her grey sweats, she was everywhere. She was clapping, jumping, yelling and fully locked in. From the bench, Bueckers was animated from tip-off to final buzzer. At one point in the second quarter, after NaLyssa Smith was called for a questionable shooting foul, Bueckers immediately stood up, threw her hands in the air, and gave the refs a piece of her mind…well, non-verbally. 

She didn’t stop there.

Later in the game, she reacted just as dramatically to an out-of-bounds call, using every bit of her body language to let everyone know she disagreed. But the internet’s favorite moment belonged to Brittney Sykes or more accurately, Bueckers’ impression of her. Captured by Dallas reporter Landon Thomas, Paige fully mimicked Sykes’ “head flop” after a foul. 

She stood up, exaggerated the motion, and even took a few steps toward the court, ignoring the ref’s hand wave to stay seated. So, wven without logging a single minute, Bueckers once again found herself in the spotlight.