Paige Bueckers Proves ABC Commentator Wrong With Impressive Act To Tackle Valkyries HC’s Plan

Paige Bueckers was at her brilliant best at Chase Center tonight. Still, the Valkyries came out on top with a hard-fought 4-point win. But one moment stood out–not because it was a masterstroke, but because of the reaction it drew. A particular call from coach Natalie Nakase earned high praise from commentator Morgan Ragan, even though it didn’t quite pay off the way many expected.

With 17 seconds left, Paige had just buried a jumper to cut the deficit to three. That’s when Nakase signaled for a timeout to settle her team. Commentator Morgan Ragan immediately praised the move, saying, “Very smart decision. The defense has really picked it up all the way in the backcourt. And it’s a big moment—you’re trying to finish things out. Too easy of a look for Paige Bueckers, that’s what she’s been able to do almost all night long. A little slower in that first half, but in the second she’s really picked it up.”

Coach Nakase hoped the timeout would slow down Bueckers’ momentum in those final seconds. But it didn’t quite work. She still scored the Wings’ last four points, though the gap was already too wide. The Valkyries held on for an 84-80 win, leaving Dallas just short of a comeback. And Bueckers finished with 27 points on 11-of-20 shooting, giving her more 25-point games than every other rookie combined this season.

So was Ragan right in calling the timeout a ‘smart decision,’ or were the Valkyries simply lucky?

When the Wings and Valkyries faced off on September 25, 2025, the Valkyries brought an end to Bueckers’ 30-game double-digit scoring streak. “We matched [Kaila Charles] up with her cause Paige just had a 44-point game, we all watched it, we all saw her!, ” coach Natalie Nakase said.

The move to put former Wings player Kaila Charles on Paige Bueckers worked to perfection. Charles held her scoreless in the first half and limited her to just 9 points on 3-of-12 shooting overall. On top of that, Charles tied her career-high with 16 points, helping the Valkyries secure a 90-81 win over Dallas. So, based on past instances, Morgan Ragan was right to call the timeout a ‘smart decision’.

But Paige Bueckers is simply playing at an elite level in her rookie year. Averaging 19.1 points and 5.3 assists while shooting 47% from the field and 88.8% from the free throw line, she’s the undisputed contender for the ROTY crown. Also, she is the fastest rookie ever to reach 500 points and 150 assists in the league. And because of her performances, she’s instrumental in how Dallas plays and how that translates into wins.

Certainly, opposition teams have taken notice of that, and it is actually a positive compliment for her because it shows, in a way, that her impact on the game is getting recognized. So, with regards to Ragan’s comment, it’s just a case of good defense but better offence. Even though, in this case, the ‘better offence’ came from just her and the team that played the ‘good defense’ won the game.

Well, Bueckers and the Dallas Wings did lose that game, but for her personally, there was a silver lining.

Paige Bueckers creates history

Her rookie season might not have gone the way she hoped, with a 9-33 record and a last-place finish, but her talent and impact are undeniable. Night after night, she’s shown up, breaking records along the way. Even in tonight’s defeat, she added yet another milestone to her remarkable debut season.

Paige Bueckers just climbed to number four on the WNBA’s all-time rookie scoring list with 650 points, passing Cappie Pondexter and Arike Ogunbowale along the way. And that wasn’t the only milestone she hit tonight. She became the franchise’s all-time rookie scoring leader and secured the number 1 spot for most assists (180 assists) by a rookie in franchise history.

With Paige Bueckers balling out in her rookie season and hitting historic milestones, it will be interesting to see what moves the Dallas Wings make this offseason. They’ll need to build a roster that truly complements Bueckers, because this season didn’t simply turn out to be a successful one for the team. To make matters worse, Arike Ogunbowale also missed significant time with injuries. Next year, though, expectations will be sky-high, and fans will be looking for a much stronger showing from Paige Bueckers and co.