The prediction was spot on. Dallas had been riding a high in confidence after beating the Indiana Fever, but the Sparks had momentum on their side after winning 5 of their last 7 games. The Wings, meanwhile, are still stuck near the bottom of the standings, relying heavily on rookie Paige Bueckers to carry the load. And just like in their earlier June clash, Los Angeles once again came out on top, this time in a nail-biter, edging Dallas 97-96.

But even in defeat, Paige Bueckers made history. She finished with 29 points, five assists, and four rebounds, but the real milestone was her 143rd assist of the season, which set the franchise rookie record. On top of that, she became the fastest rookie in WNBA history to reach 500 points and 100 assists. Not bad for a player who’s already averaging 18.4 points, 4.1 rebounds, and 5.4 assists per game. Dallas, though, still couldn’t capitalize—they’re now 9-25 and sitting in the bottom three of the league.

What made the night even more fun was Bueckers’ look. She showed up rocking the “Pink Diamond” Nike LeBron 20s — the same pair LeBron James debuted during the Drew League. It’s an energetic, all-pink sneaker with silver swoosh borders that screams confidence. Sole Retriever posted on X: “Paige Bueckers in the ‘Pink Diamond’ LeBron 20s tonight 🪣 👑 @paigebueckers1 @KingJames.” Maybe it was the LeBron inspiration that fueled her strong performance, because she played with that turbo-fast edge all game.

Still, the finish left fans split. Bueckers hit big shots down the stretch, including setting up Aziaha James and JJ Quinerly for clutch buckets that nearly stole the win. With just 15 seconds remaining, JJ Quinerly delivered a clutch three-pointer from the corner, cutting the deficit to one. In the final moment, Bueckers sprinted downcourt and launched a tightly defended three-point attempt…only to see it bounce off the rim as the buzzer sounded.

So, even after a historic night, some fans couldn’t get past the missed dagger, putting Bueckers right back in the center of the debate.

Fans roast Paige Bueckers after another late-game miss

Some fans wasted no time mocking Paige Bueckers after her latest missed game-winner. One joked, “Paige and missing game winners. Goes together like peanut butter and jelly.” And honestly, it wasn’t the first time. Back in June, Bueckers also missed a deep three at the buzzer in OT against Atlanta, a 91–88 loss. She had a strong line that night — 20 points, nine boards, seven assists, plus a block and steal in 40 minutes — but the moment still slipped. That history made the PB&J comment sting a little more.

“That shot is so dumb she could’ve passed,” another fan said. The Wings had stormed back from down 13 with under five minutes left, holding L.A. to just one field goal in the final 4:25. Bueckers, Aziaha James, and JJ Quinerly led the rally, cutting it to one after a furious run. Kelsey Plum even missed two free throws and botched a rebound late, setting up Bueckers’ last look. But the ball spun off the rim, and Dallas’ comeback fell just short.

Others pointed out her season-long struggles in crunch time. “I’ve seen this from Paige many times this season. The girl freezes at the clutch moment. 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣” one fan wrote. The numbers back it up: as of July 31, Bueckers was shooting just 16.7% from three in clutch minutes (2-for-12). That’s the lowest mark in the league with a minimum of 10 attempts. Still, she hasn’t shied away from big shots — she actually ranks third in clutch field goal attempts (27). And despite the misses, she’s also carved her name in the record books with 11 games of 15+ points and 5+ assists, passing Sue Bird’s rookie mark.

Then came the chatter about her decision-making in the Sparks game. “She could have gave her friend a pass. More open.. this could have been a good night if Fever won too. But of course they choked ugh,” one fan sighed. The play wasn’t that simple, though. With the clock winding down, Bueckers had three defenders — Kelsey Plum, Azurá Stevens, and Julie Allemand — swarming her. She had to make a snap choice and chose to take the shot.

Fans also had fun roasting a stat graphic gone wrong. “I’m in tears 😭😭😭😭 they said Paige had 481 assists like it made any sense. ‘She’s rewriting the history books’ lmfaoooo,” one wrote. And they weren’t wrong — that number was impossible. In reality, she sits at 146 assists, breaking Odyssey Sims’ rookie mark of 142. The true all-time rookie assist record is Caitlin Clark’s 321 last year. Paige is averaging 5.4 assists per game, solid but nowhere near rewriting that record book just yet— though she has become the fastest to 450 points, 100 rebounds, and 100 assists in just 25 games.