Paige Bueckers’ impressive run in Unrivaled’s 1-on-1 tournament has come to an abrupt end.

After cruising past her Dallas Wings teammate Arike Ogunbowale in the second round, Bueckers ran into a veteran wall in the quarterfinals. And that wall was none other than Chelsea Gray.

Bueckers entered this matchup after dismantling Kate Martin in the opening round before taking down Ogunbowale 12–4 in a highly anticipated Wings-on-Wings showdown. But a game against Gray? That was a different challenge entirely, and the frustration of that was visible on Paige Bueckers’ face.

From the opening possessions, the Las Vegas Aces star controlled the pace of the game using her strength and footwork. And within a few minutes, Gray built a commanding 9–2 lead, leaving Bueckers searching for answers.

Then came the turning point.

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During a crucial possession, a foul was called on Bueckers, which was a whistle she clearly disagreed with. The Dallas guard immediately turned toward the official, visibly animated and arguing the call. While it wasn’t clear what she said, her frustration clearly took over.

But because of that foul, Gray stepped to the line, calmly knocked down the free throw, and sealed the 11–2 victory. As the buzzers went off, Bueckers quickly dapped up Gray and walked off the court. Bueckers did have chances to score but was unable to convert them. She attempted 6 shots from the field, and out of those, she only made one, going 16.7% in FG.

With this win under her belt, Gray is advancing to the semifinals of the tournament, where she will face her former teammate Kelsey Plum in what promises to be one of the most anticipated matchups of the tournament.

What’s next for Paige Bueckers?

While it’s a tough pill to swallow that Bueckers is out of the 1v1 tournament and lost her shot at the $200,000 grand prize, her season is far from over.

This tournament was only a midseason spotlight, so Bueckers now has to return to her leadership role with Breeze BC, where she has been one of the most dominant players in the 3-on-3 format.

Paige Bueckers currently sits in the first position in the league in assists at 6.7 per game while also ranking among the top three scorers, averaging 25.0 points per contest. That’s why a one-off night doesn’t really erase a season’s worth of elite production.

With Unrivaled’s regular season all set to wrap up on February 27, and the postseason tipping off the very next day, only the top four teams will advance.  So for Bueckers and Breeze BC, the focus now shifts from individual accolades to positioning for a deep playoff push.

The championship game is set for March 4 in Miami, where a $600,000 prize pool awaits the winner, but who will take the win home? Only time will tell.

Which team are you rooting for? Tell us in the comments.