The WNBA has been waiting for the Paige Bueckers, who dominated college basketball like no other. Drafted No. 1 overall and billed as the next face of the league, Bueckers was projected to scale the heights of the WNBA like the superstar Caitlin Clark. Her draft night drew one of the biggest audiences in WNBA history, second only to Clark.
But after a quiet start, a concussion, and a four-game absence, the spark hadn’t quite caught fire until now. On Wednesday, June 11, Bueckers exploded for 35 points in her breakout performance against the Phoenix Mercury, finally putting the league on notice with the kind of game that reminded everyone why she was drafted to change everything.
Bueckers Joins Rare Rookie Company With Scorching 35-Point Night
Bueckers braced the court after missing four games and instantly made history. She became the first WNBA rookie this season to drop 30 points in a game. But it wasn’t just about the scoring total, but how she did it.
She finished with 35 points, six rebounds, and four assists and shot a scorching 13-of-19 from the field. From deep, she drilled 5-of-7 3-pointers and hit 4-of-5 at the line. Her efficiency was off the charts, joining Chennedy Carter (2020), Breanna Stewart (2016), and Odyssey Sims (2014) as the only rookies this century to post 35+ points on 80+ true shooting percentage in a game as per Automatic X handle.
Every WNBA rookie this century with 35+ PTS on 80+ TS% in a game:
Paige Bueckers tonight
Chennedy Carter in 2020
Breanna Stewart in 2016
Odyssey Sims in 2014pic.twitter.com/6rnJOdVKtY— Automatic (@automaticnba) June 12, 2025
What made it even more jaw-dropping was her first-half surge. In just the opening two quarters, Bueckers racked up 22 points on 8-of-10 shooting, including a perfect 3-for-3 from beyond the arc.
She controlled the game with poise, aggression, and the shot-making touch that made her a college superstar. The buckets kept coming, and she looked fully in control and unguardable for the first time in a Wings uniform.
Bueckers Finally Looking Like the No. 1 Pick
Before Wednesday, the flashes were there. Through her first seven WNBA games, Bueckers has averaged 17.6 points, 6.3 assists, and 4.9 rebounds – all solid numbers for a rookie. But there had only been one 20-point game and no real “takeover” moment — that moment finally came against the Mercury.
The Dallas Wings, now 1–10 on the season, still lost 93–80, but Bueckers gave them their biggest reason yet to believe the season can shift. She had missed the previous four games – three due to concussion protocol and one due to illness. In her absence, Dallas went 0–4 and badly missed a reliable offensive engine.
Her return couldn’t have come at a better time. The Wings needed a jolt. The league needed a reminder that Bueckers has the potential to match Clark’s skills and stardom, and she delivered both.
Even in defeat, she stood out as the most dynamic player on the floor. She appeared the same Bueckers who once owned the March Madness and the same Bueckers who had the nation tuning in just to see where she’d land on draft night.
After weeks of waiting, WNBA fans finally saw the potential superstar Bueckers in action again – and if this performance is any indication, she is only just getting started.
