Paige Bueckers came in bearing the weight of Caitlin Clark comparisons. 2 five-star recruits out of high school, two point guards leading their team from the front, and two young talents drawing unprecedented crowds. It was inevitable. But if you ask the 2025 Rookie of the Year favorite herself, she was ready to pay no heed. “[something that’s] helped the mental side of the game is running my own race, not running a race of comparison,” she declared. And 35 games in, PB is already stacking up stats to prove her words true. But is she really running her own race?

Maybe not entirely. Paige knows exactly how the Dallas Wings are losing out on crucial games. With a recent loss to the Las Vegas Aces, the Wings, one of the league’s bottom-most teams, dropped even further out of playoff contention with a 9–24 record. So, despite her impressive individual performances, PB hasn’t forgotten to uplift her teammates, doing her part to fuel them for the nine games still left.

Remember just a few days ago when she said about Grace Berger, “Yeah, she’s just getting more comfortable and confident in the offense and getting us organized”? That was after Berger finished with 0 points, 2 assists, 2 steals, and 1 rebound in 19 minutes against the Fever. Seeing her teammate heartbroken, PB couldn’t help but support her anyway. The same encouragement was seen in her words for Maddy Siegrist after another loss to the Aces.

“Just her getting to her spots, her posting up smaller defenders, shooting over the top, and just being an opportunity basketball player. Getting out in transition, getting easy layups that way. She’s just a workhorse. The game comes to her, and she takes full advantage of that. It seems tonight she was even more aggressive inside the line, especially against mismatches,” he shared in a recent press conference after taking a loss against Aces.

And Bueckers was right. When Arike Ogunbowale was sidelined with right knee soreness and Dallas desperately needed scoring to snap a five-game skid, Siegrist answered the call. She delivered a career-tying 22 points on 9-of-13 shooting in a one-point win over the Fever, stepping into the starting lineup and providing the consistency the team needed.

That’s the kind of impact Maddy brings for Dallas. But her efforts didn’t pay off against the Aces, where despite her 23 points on 11-of-15 shooting, 6 rebounds, 2 steals, and 2 blocks, the Wings still lost. Postgame, she admitted, “It’s hard to reflect on when you’re losing. Doesn’t feel that good when you’re losing. But just trying to do everything I can to help my teammates. They work really hard to get you open, get you the ball. So you try to obviously reward them with that assist. But, you know, it doesn’t feel that good today.” That loss stung even more after the Aces drained 18 triples—the most ever by a Wings opponent.

But what keeps Siegrist and her teammates moving forward is loyalty—the constant support they show one another. So while Maddy says she’s “trying to do everything … to help my teammates,” PB is also doing her part, whether through her play or her words of encouragement.

Of course, Paige isn’t just limited to uplifting teammates—she’s putting up historic numbers too. Playoff hopes may be gone, but the Rookie of the Year race is still very much alive. In a recent 106–87 loss, she solidified her historic rookie campaign by becoming the fastest player in WNBA history to reach 500 points and 150 assists. With 18 points, 5 rebounds, and 4 assists, she hit the milestone in just 27 games, surpassing Caitlin Clark, who tied Diana Taurasi at 39 games. Before Paige, Kahleah Copper held the mark at 33 games.

That’s the kind of phenom Paige Bueckers is molding herself into. Since the start of the 2025 season, she has scored in double figures in every single one of her 28 appearances, despite missing 7 games due to injury. That streak marks the fourth-longest double-digit scoring run in league history. But it’s not just about the buckets—her 5.4 assists per game rank among the best in franchise history, tying her for the seventh-most in a season for Dallas. At this pace, breaking Skylar Diggins-Smith’s record doesn’t seem out of reach. But yes, it’s near impossible without support from her mates she’s standing for.

Maddy turns out to be blessing in disguise for Wings…

While Bueckers has gotten help from plenty of teammates throughout the year—NaLyssa Smith, DiJonai Carrington, and Ogunbowale—recently it has been Siegrist stepping up in a big way. PB even highlighted her, saying, “She’s a big wing, so a lot of times there is a smaller defender on her. For her to be able to take advantage of that is a huge boost.” Ever since returning from an 18-game injury absence, Siegrist has averaged 14.8 points, 3.3 rebounds, and 0.8 assists in 23.6 minutes per game while shooting a scorching 61.5% from the field. But this isn’t the first time she’s delivered.

Back in 2024, she started 13 of 27 games, averaging 9.4 points per game with 14 double-digit outings before a finger injury cut her season short. Her consistent production led Dallas to exercise her rookie contract option heading into 2025. Even head coach, Chris Koclanes had some praise: “Her second-chance points, her timely cutting and crashing—she’s going to put the ball in around the rim,” he said speaking to Dallas Journal.

That came after Maddy sparked runs in both halves against the Fever, even steadying Dallas with a timely corner three in the second quarter. So yes, Maddy’s impact goes far beyond the box score—she embodies consistency and intangibles that make her invaluable to the Wings. And while her and Paige’s efforts might not be enough to secure Dallas a playoff berth, they just might be enough to spoil things for others.