Wednesday saw the WNBA showdown between the Phoenix Mercury and the Dallas Wings. Even as the Wings lost to the Mercury, 93-80, Paige Bueckers stole the show. The rookie set a new career-high record with 35 points for the Wings.
With a 1-10 record, Dallas is having a rather tough time, but amidst all that, Bueckers shines, especially after missing four consecutive games. With her performance, she set the tone straight, reminding people once again why she was the first overall pick in this year’s WNBA Draft.
And she’s coming out to be a true leader, through and through.
Paige Bueckers Shows Why She’s Elite
After the tough loss, Bueckers spoke with the media about the challenges the Wings are facing this season. Despite these murky waters, she trusts the work the team is putting in, along with their vision. No matter how difficult, she believes she can help the Wings get to where they want to go.
“It’s challenging but very rewarding in a sense of you being super process-oriented and not result-oriented,” Bueckers said after the game. “How we want to have a set of standards, build a culture, and have a way we do things and stick to that regardless of wins or losses… Then the results will follow and will come as we continue to stay disciplined in who we are every single day.
“Just trying to lead by example, lead with my voice, and just have difficult conversations. Get to know these people on and off the court and continue to build that chemistry… Just like anything in life, it’s a journey.”
Paige Bueckers provided an insightful response while discussing how she is learning to lead in the WNBA amid the Wings’ adversity:
“It’s challenging but very rewarding in a sense of you being super process-oriented and not result-oriented. How we want to have a set of…
— Joey Mistretta (@JoeyMistretta_) June 12, 2025
There are many outstanding aspects about Bueckers’ play style and on-court dominance that make everyone believe why she was the No. 1 pick this year. But the way she has navigated this answer instills faith in her maturity in fans. For a rookie, it is an undervalued quality.
She has come back after missing four games because of illnesses and concussions, and when she came back, she came back like a pro. Apart from her career-high scoring night, she also had six rebounds and four assists while shooting 68% from the field.
Before entering the league, she had a truly sensational career at UConn, where she made program history and bagged a national championship. As she is still learning to walk on this new path, she will struggle, but the way her focus and intent look, she’s got the right talent to become a future leader for the Wings.
