Paige Bueckers and the Dallas Wings recorded their second win of the season against the Golden State Valkyries in front of 6,061 fans at College Park Center on Tuesday night. The win sees Chris Koclanes’ team improve to 2-11 and secure their first home win of the campaign. While they remain at the bottom of the standings, this was a vital win for a team that has struggled over the first quarter of the season.
Bueckers, who recently returned to the lineup following a four-game absence due to a concussion, was once again a key figure in Koclanes’ offense. The No. 1 overall pick out of UConn led the Wings roster in points (20), steals (4, tied with Kaila Charles), and blocks (2, tied with Myisha Hines-Allen).
The Wings have started to gel over the last week, especially with Bueckers returning to the lineup. Their highly rated point guard has averaged 23.7 points, 4.0 rebounds, 3.7 assists and 2.3 steals over her last three outings. On this occasion, however, Bueckers shined the spotlight on her teammates’ performances after a comprehensive team effort from the Wings.
Paige Bueckers Talks Up Teammates’ Impact in Hard-Fought Home Win Against Valkyries
Dallas held off Golden State to record a nine-point victory, but this was a hard-fought game that went down to the wire. The Wings jumped out to a 25-16 lead in the second quarter. The Valkyries battled back in the second half and held a one-point lead with under seven minutes left in the game. The Wings had to dig deep late in the game, but they were able to hang on for a crucial win.
Bueckers was exceptional on the night, hitting some clutch shots at critical stages of the game. The rookie is proving that she belongs at the highest level and showing that she has the potential to develop into one of the league’s top players.
Following the game, Bueckers credited her teammates for their contributions in a closely contested game.
“It means a lot with us trying to build confidence and get over the hump … to close one out and get the win at home. Emotionally, it makes us all happy. There were so many key people in the game that this stuff doesn’t even show up on the box score. This was really just a full team effort, and everyone who played tonight made an impact and contributed to winning.” (8:12)
Several Wings players came up big when called upon. Four-time All-Star Arike Ogunbowale finished with 19 points, six assists, five rebounds and three steals. She drilled two 3-pointers in the fourth quarter that gave her team some breathing room.
Charles came off the bench to chip in with 10 points, five rebounds, four assists and four steals in what turned out to be arguably her best performance of the season.
Forward Myisha Hines-Allen, who finished the game with nine points and six rebounds, also came through with some important buckets late in the game.
The Wings received a much-needed boost with a win on Tuesday but will need to stay focused as they prepare for a tricky run of games that includes the Connecticut Sun, Washington Mystics, Atlanta Dream and Indiana Fever.
