The Dallas Wings ended their three-year exile from the postseason as they officially booked their berth for the playoffs after the 96-78 victory against the Portland Fire on Tuesday. Dallas got the win on the back of a strong performance from Paige Bueckers, who added her name to an all-time WNBA record, joining other WNBA greats.
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Bueckers finished the night with 22 points, 11 assists, and four rebounds, while adding two steals in 33 minutes of playing time. She has now become only the third player in WNBA history to put up 750+ points and 200+ assists in a single season, as Yahoo Sports posted on X. She joins elite company, as only Caitlin Clark and Kelsey Plum have achieved this feat previously in the W.
This is not the first milestone she has hit this week. In the game against the Seattle Storm, she recorded a perfect 6-for-6 shooting from the three-point line, tying the WNBA record for made 3-pointers without a miss. Paige Bueckers, backed by Arike Ogunbowale and Jessica Shepard, has made the Wings a legitimate title contender this season. The Wings make the playoffs for the first time since 2023.
Bueckers has been in fine form this season, averaging 20.6 points, 5.8 assists, and 4.1 rebounds while shooting 50.6% from the field and 39.6% from beyond the arc. Her critical role for this Wings team can be gauged from her high usage rate of 25.8%, per Basketball-Reference. Paige Bueckers not only gets on the board but enables others around her to score freely as well, accounting for a staggering 29.8% of the team’s assists.
Bueckers has been instrumental in Dallas achieving its franchise record for regular-season victories in its league history. Dallas improved their record to 23-16 after the Portland win.
Coach Fernandez would hope that Paige Bueckers can continue her rich form in the postseason as well. She has scored at least 20 points in 23 games this season, and this scoring prowess would certainly be tested against the top teams they will face in the playoffs, likely starting with the league-leading Minnesota Lynx in the first round. The Wings have a less-than-ideal 6-13 record against the top eight teams this season.
Their problems in the playoffs will be compounded by the fact that their number one pick from this season’s draft, Azzi Fudd, has suffered a season-ending injury. Fudd has not played for the Wings since August 5 and recently underwent an arthroscopic procedure on her right knee.
The rookie could only feature in 30 games this season, averaging 13.1 points, 1.7 rebounds, and 1.8 assists. While the Wings have signed a replacement for Fudd in Kitija Laksa, only time will tell how far Paige Bueckers and Co. can go in the playoffs.
With five games left in the regular season, Dallas takes on the Connecticut Sun next on August 30.