Dallas Wings guard Paige Bueckers isn’t just living up to the No. 1 pick hype; she’s rewriting what early dominance looks like. With every game, she’s inching closer to the kind of rare air usually reserved for names like Caitlin Clark. And now, she’s officially breathing it.
Thursday night might’ve ended in frustration for the Wings, who dropped a tight one to the Chicago Sky, 97-92, but Paige Bueckers still put on a show. She finished with 15 points, five rebounds, and eight assists, plus three steals and three blocks, all while hitting 6-of-11 shots from the floor.
Basketball Reference’s StatHead noted how rare this kind of game really is: before Bueckers, only Caitlin Clark, Candace Parker, and Angel McCoughtry had ever managed that same stat line. And this wasn’t just a one-off performance. Over the past five games, Bueckers has been rolling, averaging 15.6 points, 4.2 rebounds, and 7.6 assists. Again, the only other rookie who’s ever sustained that kind of pace? Caitlin Clark.
Paige Bueckers’ Rapid Rise with Dallas Wings Already Drawing Parallels to Caitlin Clark’s Rookie Breakout
Paige Bueckers landed in the WNBA with a buzz louder than most, fresh off an electric career at UConn. Just six games into her debut season with the Dallas Wings, she’s already backing it up with performances that pop off the stat sheet. Heading into Thursday’s clash with the Sky, Bueckers was averaging 14.6 points, dishing 6.4 assists, and grabbing 4.4 boards per game—and those numbers got even sweeter after her latest showing.
Even in the loss, she made noise. Bueckers filled the box score and the game tape, racking up three steals and three blocks, a defensive showing you rarely get from a rookie guard. She was everywhere.
Dallas Wings head coach Chris Koclanes credited the growing synergy between Bueckers and Arike Ogunbowale, saying their connection in the backcourt is starting to feel instinctual.
Players in WNBA history with 15+ PTS, 8+ AST, 5+ REB, 3+ STL, and 3+ BLK in a game:
Paige Bueckers (tonight)
Caitlin Clark
Candace Parker
Angel McCoughtry— Underdog WNBA (@UnderdogWNBA) May 30, 2025
“I thought you saw good rhythm, good chemistry,” Koclanes said during postgame availability. “Especially that starting guard group, I thought you saw them really just kind of vibing out there and feeling it out with each other. I thought the ball moved; lots of assists again tonight. Encouraged by our play today on that side of the ball.”
Ogunbowale, who scored 37 points and contributed seven assists, had a slightly more reserved perspective on the chemistry.
“It looked like our chemistry took a little step, but it’s still not where we want it to be,” Ogunbowale stated. “Both of our potential playing together is great, but we need everybody playing well, the whole starting five, the whole bench. Just building chemistry all throughout, 1 through 12.”
Colin Cowherd Sparks Debate Comparing Paige Bueckers’ and Caitlin Clark’s Early Impact in WNBA
The growing rivalry narrative between Bueckers and Clark gained momentum after recent comments made by Colin Cowherd on “The Herd.” Cowherd suggested Bueckers’ talent could surpass Clark’s over time, emphasizing the former UConn standout’s advanced skill set from an early age.
“She’s been a phenom since she was in the sixth grade,” Cowherd said. “She’s a better pure scorer, eventually a better shooter.”
Cowherd went further, adding, “So it’s very possible in back-to-back years you’re going to get the two most popular WNBA players ever. Paige Bueckers, when she was at UConn, she was the women’s college basketball player of the year as a freshman. She was much better than Caitlin Clark much earlier in life.”
However, these remarks have not gone uncontested. Clark put up historic numbers throughout her NCAA career, steering Iowa all the way to back-to-back national title games and setting an all-time scoring record with 3,951 points along the way. When she jumped to the WNBA with the Indiana Fever, she didn’t slow down, averaging an eye-opening 17.1 points, 8.2 assists, and 5.7 rebounds per game. Few rookies have ever stepped onto the court and delivered performances like that from day one.
Cowherd also notably highlighted Clark’s stardom off the court on ‘The Colin Cowherd Podcast’.
“In one year, out of women’s basketball, for a horrible team when she arrived, outside of LeBron and Steph, she is the most well-known basketball player currently playing in the United States,” Cowherd said. Despite differing opinions, the undeniable fact remains that both Bueckers and Clark have quickly established themselves as central figures in the league, drawing significant attention to women’s basketball.
Dallas now holds a 1-5 record following the loss to Chicago, with the Wings set to face the Sky again on Saturday at 8 p.m. ET in Dallas.
