Down by a single point after a furious fourth-quarter push, Dallas fell 97–96 to the Los Angeles Sparks. Painful déjà vu, considering that just two nights earlier, they had handed the Indiana Fever that exact same heartbreak in an 81–80 finish. The Wings got a taste of their own medicine, but at least one player made sure it didn’t go down bitter. Their usual husky in charge, Paige Bueckers, once again carried the pack. She dropped a game-high 29 points (trailed by Plum’s 28) and in the process, snapped a 28-year-old record. And no, we’re not dressing it up like ESPN did. The global sports giant flashed across the screen, and with commentators announcing, “Paige Bueckers was chasing Odyssey Sims for the record of most assists by a rookie in a season. Well, she’s got it: 481! Congratulations! She’s just rewriting the entire rookie record book.”

One analyst even gushed: “Completely new standards!” The only problem here is that the number is flat-out impossible. No WNBA player has ever sniffed 481 assists in a single season. In reality, Paige Bueckers etched her name in the Dallas record book with 143 assists, it’s surely a franchise best for a rookie. The actual WNBA rookie (and league-wide) assists record is still Caitlin Clark’s 321. She set it just last year. But Dallas fans, don’t sulk just yet. Because while Paige may not have claimed the rookie assists crown, she made history in another way.

She just became the second-fastest WNBA player ever to reach 500 points, 100 assists, and 100 rebounds in 28 years,  trailing only Cynthia Cooper overall. Even more impressive, she’s the fastest rookie in league history to notch 500 points and 100 assists, doing it in just 27 games. And if you think that milestone had her floating on cloud nine, think again. Paige Bueckers showed her usual tunnel vision when asked about it afterward: “It’s hard to reflect when you’re in the middle of it. Cuz you’re just so focused on what every day looks like for you.”

“And that’s never—as a team, it’s never how many points are you going to score, it’s how can we contribute to winning on any given night, whether it’s zero points or 10 points or 20 points, whatever that may be,” she said. Paige Bueckers even added, “So for me, it’s just all about how can I be the best teammate and how can I be the best leader and how can we all contribute to winning. So that’s really—I mean that doesn’t really answer your question, but that’s really all the reflection is about.”

So, that’s Paige Bueckers for you. She also became the only rookie to record double-digit points in the first 20 games of the season. While records and stats are an interesting when it comes to Paige Bueckers, but her rivalries are just as fun to watch. Have a look…

Paige Bueckers vs Kelsey Plumliy

While the final score drew attention, Friday night’s game featured an intriguing personal duel. The theme was Paige Bueckers versus Kelsey Plum. The two guards (friends off the court but fierce competitors on it) made no secret about how much this matchup meant. “I mean, we’re actually pretty good friends,” Bueckers said about Plum postgame. “So, the best way to show respect and have that mutual competitive fire against each other is to go at each other… It’s fun competing against the best, she’s one of the best guards in the league. It’s fun to go back and forth within a team basketball game.”

When the interviewers pressed about how enjoyable it was battling a friend in such a close contest? Bueckers responded immediately: “Very fun.” The statistics reflected the on-court intensity too. Paige Bueckers dropped a game-high 29 points while Plum led the Sparks with 28. Both dished out five assists, but the key divergence came in turnovers. Paige Bueckers committed just one compared to Plum’s five.

The shooting efficiency stood out for both stars, with each connecting on over 50% of their field goal attempts. Plum’s scoring prowess especially proved crucial as Los Angeles held off Dallas’ late rally. To this, Wings coach Chris Koclanes paid his respects afterward: “She’s a great player. Extremely crafty, uses her body well and just can really get to the paint. You’ve gotta mix it up with her, right? We threw some different looks at her in terms of throwing two bodies at her, switching a little bit… I thought JJ (Quinerly) battled like crazy (while defending Plum). I thought she did a really, really good job holding her own against her. She’s a tough player to contain. We will get two more cracks at her here in the next week.”

Now while those rematches await, Dallas’ immediate challenge will come Sunday in Las Vegas, where Paige Bueckers and the Wings will aim to transform narrow disappointment into a signature road victory against the Aces.