Wings made of wax supported Dallas’ fourteen-minute push against Connecticut, but they flew too close to the Sun. Or, in other words, this dead-rubber matchup turned out to be a lot more interesting than anyone thought, even without Paige Bueckers on the court. The entire first quarter was Dallas trying to prove that they’re as dangerous as before, even without their offensive centerpiece on the court; however, they emptied the tank too quickly. Bueckers’ illness led to them being crowned the worst team in the league, losing thirty total games so far.

But Dallas fans had a lot of hope right before the game started. PB7, after being deemed questionable due to illness and missing practice, was made available for a brief period. “She’s good. She’s ready to go. Just a little sick like everybody else, but she’s going to tough it out and play.” Wings HC Chris Koclanes said, expressing faith in his star. However, it was at tip-off that everyone was brought down to the ground after Bueckers was ruled out yet again.

The thing is, the Dallas Wings don’t have the pieces to play winning basketball, especially not without Bueckers. And even the players admit it! Wings center Maddy Siegrist was quite open about Paige Bueckers’ impact on her team after suffering through the well-fought 95-101 loss for Dallas. A reporter asked her if PB’s season was impressive for a rookie, and Siegrist had the perfect response.

“I think what Paige is doing, if she was an eighth-year player, would be amazing.” Siegrist said, affording high praise for her Wings teammate. “And to come in right off the college season and be able to do this is just so impressive, and it just speaks volumes, you know, to the type of player, type of person she is. She really makes people around her better. So, obviously we miss her tonight, but hopefully we’ll get her back.”

And even though comparisons between Paige Bueckers and Caitlin Clark are endless, this is exactly why Bueckers still stands a shot against the sophomore star. There might be a 3.2 APG gap between both of their rookie years, but Bueckers makes the right play without any hesitation, even if she doesn’t get the assist.

Even Dallas Wings HC Chris Koclanes had nothing but praise for the way Paige Bueckers plays. Let’s find out exactly what he had to say about his six-foot-tall guard and her intangibles this year.

Bueckers is currently top five among WNBA rookies in efficiency rating, and her usage rate ranks higher than Clark’s in comparable stretches. Analysts on ESPN’s “Around the Rim” highlighted her defensive rotations and decision-making as elite for a first-year player, noting that “she doesn’t force the game to bend to her—she bends herself to the game.” That balance has sparked debate among fans on Reddit (r/WNBA), where threads comparing Clark’s volume scoring to Bueckers’ efficiency routinely trend after Wings games.

Wings HC Chris Koclanes showers praise on star Paige Bueckers

44 points against Los Angeles, and 19 points for the season–how do you stop Paige Bueckers? The UConn alumni stormed into the league with a spark. A year delayed is a year wasted, after all, but she was finally at the biggest stage possible, and she wasn’t planning on disappointing. Jersey number 7 on the Wings can do everything, and even head coach Chris Koclanes agreed.

The Dallas head coach sat down with the media recently, and he had nothing but glowing words for his star guard. “She’s going to pass that ball 10 times out of 10 because it’s the right play.” He said, pointing out the impeccable trust in his team, Koclanes continued,  “So, to have somebody like that as the future of this organization, I’m just extremely lucky to have a kind of servant leader that Paige is.”

And a servant leader is a pretty good way to describe it. Paige’s time at UConn assured fans and coaches alike that she knew how to control the game. After all, you don’t win a natty with Geno Auriemma and not learn how to pass the rock. Even a reporter from Los Angeles, Azura Stevens, couldn’t help but draw compliments for the Wings’ rookie. “She’s really extremely humble, always putting the team first, and I think that speaks to a lot of people.” 

So, basically, Dallas ended up with the complete package. Bueckers can thread the needle better than anyone else, take over the game with her clean middies and clutch threes, and holds her teammates accountable for each win and each loss.

We here at the ES Newsdesk have Paige Bueckers as the undisputed Rookie of the Year, and can’t wait to see the Dallas Wings rookie soar to new heights as time goes on. However, the first step would probably be for PB to get well soon and get back to playing the game that we all love. Stay tuned for more updates!