After a rather underwhelming start to her WNBA career last week, No. 1 overall pick Paige Bueckers said she had “room to grow.” In her second career game on Monday, she proved that she’s a quick learner.
While the Dallas Wings lost again, this time to the Seattle Storm, 79-71, Bueckers offered a glimpse of the future with an impressive all-around performance. She finished with 19 points, eight assists, five rebounds and two steals on 7 of 14 from the field. And while single-game plus-minus isn’t the be-all, end-all, Bueckers played 37 minutes and was a plus-2 in an eight-point loss.
Bueckers is the first Wings rookie to record a game with at least 15 points, five rebounds and five assists since Arike Ogunbowale in 2019.
The Storm were intent to pressure Bueckers and get the ball out of her hands, especially in pick-and-roll situations. While there were a few early possessions where she struggled with the aggressive approach, both she and the team made the necessary adjustments.
Wings coach Chris Koclanes ran a few sets to get Bueckers the ball either on the block or on the move where the Storm couldn’t send multiple players her way. And as the game went along, Bueckers was quick to read…
