Paige Bueckers spent Friday night carving up the Los Angeles Sparks defense. The Dallas Wings guard recorded six assists in the first quarter, nine by halftime, and finished with 14 to tie the franchise’s single-game record while adding 18 points in a 104-96 victory. The performance also matched the highest assist total by any WNBA player this season, drawing praise from across the board. Yet when fellow Wings star Arike Ogunbowale was asked about the historic performance afterward, her response offered an interesting perspective on a night that could have been even bigger for Bueckers.

“We actually had a lot of missed layups,” Ogunbowale had said, according to Dallas Morning News reporter Myah Taylor. When asked about the record in the post-game presser, she said, “I think that’s dope. Obviously, Paige is 1 of 1.”

Ogunbowale’s point lands: the Wings shot 53% but missed 36 shots; their efficiency left on the floor, which suggests that if the Wings had finished better in the game, Bueckers would have surpassed Ogunbowale for the franchise record. Ogunbowale, too, did miss 11 from the field in the game.

“It was funny in the locker room, I was going the whole entire line of teammates letting them know they smoked one for me,” Bueckers said as per Dallas Hoops Journal, showing that she wasn’t bothered by not breaking the record. “But I think it was all planned to be able to share with Arike. My teammates just did a really good job of getting people open, screening, cutting, and moving without the ball, and just making the game easy for me.”

The first 9 of Bueckers’ 14 assists came in the first half of the game, while the first 6 came in the first quarter alone. By the end of the opening period, she had already matched her career high for assists in a quarter, setting the tone for what turned into the best playmaking performance of her WNBA career. The Wings guard concluded the night with an assist percentage of 51.9%, a solid figure. It refers to the volume of field goals a player assists on during her time on the court.

Even in her rookie WNBA season last year, we saw the Wings guard break the franchise record for the most assists by a rookie in a single season. She set the rookie record in an LA Sparks game in August, finishing with 194 assists for the season. However, her single-game assist total remained at 10, against the Atlanta Dream on 29th August.

That role for Bueckers has only expanded this season. Now operating primarily as Dallas’ lead point guard, she is averaging 6.2 assists per game, up from 5.4 as a rookie.

Coming back to Friday’s win over Los Angeles, Bueckers also recorded 18 points, three rebounds, and a steal to secure her first double-double of the season. She played the secondary scoring role behind Ogunbowale and Jessica Shepard, who finished with 30 and 22 points, respectively.

The balanced offensive attack was a major reason Dallas pulled away late. All five Wings starters scored in double figures, while the team tied a season high with 30 assists and shot over 53% from the field. But without a doubt, it was Bueckers who anchored the offense throughout the night and, in turn, earned praise from her head coach.

Jose Fernandez Lauds Paige Bueckers Following a Historic Night Against the LA Sparks

Ever since Paige Bueckers exploded onto the WNBA scene, she has been the cornerstone for the Dallas Wings. In short, the entire team revolves around offense and playmaking. The franchise has seen coaching transitions this year from Chris Koclanes to Jose Fernandez.

But the team’s spectrum has remained the same. When asked about Bueckers’ performance, Fernandez explained the Wings guard’s role and what makes her special in the best possible way.

“Well, I think Paige is such a good decision maker, right?,” Fernandez said as per Dallas Hoops Journal YouTube. “We talk about it in timeouts, three or four things that we want to go to. And she has a good feel for pick-and-roll coverages in the middle of the floor, in the slot, on the side, and you know, down the stretch.

“I have total trust in her putting us in the right things to go to. Again, you look at Paige, she is going to get everybody’s best defender night in and night out. Now, she’s playing primarily at the point guard spot.”

Fernandez’s comments were particularly notable because Bueckers is now handling the bulk of Dallas’ point guard responsibilities. Despite regularly drawing the opponent’s top perimeter defender, she still managed to control the game’s tempo and tie both the Wings’ franchise record and the highest single-game assist mark in the WNBA this season.

With Paige Bueckers, Arike Ogunbowale, and Jessica Shepard firing on all cylinders this season, the Dallas Wings have found themselves in a comfortable spot. The LA Sparks game at the Crypto.com Arena was a major threat to the team, especially considering they hadn’t defeated them on the road in the regular season since 2024, according to the Wings website.

But as reality set in, the Wings made light work of this assessment, winning it 104-96 and extending their dominance. The victory was Dallas’ fourth straight and improved the team’s record to 7-3, matching the franchise’s best 10-game start since relocating from Tulsa in 2016. They are now 7-3 in the season, sitting 2nd in the Western Conference.