Paige Bueckers may still be young, but the experience she gained from watching Kobe Bryant was invaluable. When the Lakers legend died in 2020, Bueckers was the No. 1 recruit in the country and preparing to join UConn. The 24-year-old has come a long way since then, and now she is helping lead the Dallas franchise back to where it belongs.
The Wings are currently off to the best start in franchise history. After last night’s 104-96 win over the Los Angeles Sparks, they produced a complete team effort, highlighted by Arike Ogunbowale’s 30-point performance. The win also marked their fourth straight victory of the season.
As reported by Alexa Philippou, the 7-3 start is the franchise’s best through 10 games since relocating to Dallas in 2016. The Wings now sit second in the Western Conference, behind the Las Vegas Aces.
Bueckers, who finished the game with a double-double of 18 points and 14 assists in LA, credited Kobe Bryant for teaching her what it takes to be a professional basketball player.
“LA and this arena specifically has so much history in it,” Bueckers said after the game. “It’s a legendary building. It’s just an honor to play here. I dreamed and grew up watching games here, and was a big Kobe fan. So, just really enjoy it and try to soak that in, just that I’m living out my dream. But to be able to come here and win with the team that we have, to continue to keep building with what we have, and to do it with this team and this unit and these individuals is special. So, I’m very grateful to be part of this.”
Though Bueckers and Bryant never met in person, they had planned to work out together before his tragic passing. Still, his legacy continued to impact her. Bueckers read his book during her recovery from an ACL tear, drawing inspiration from his mindset and approach to the game.
While Bueckers, who leads the team in scoring, finished with a double-double, Dallas received contributions from across the roster. Jessica Shepard recorded 22 points and 15 rebounds, Maddy Siegrist added 16 points, and Azzi Fudd chipped in 11 points.
It has to be a great feeling for the Wings to have such positive momentum and see the team trending in the right direction. That arguably hasn’t happened in a long time.
Paige Bueckers Ties Franchise Assist Record
Paige Bueckers etched her name into Wings history, matching Arike Ogunbowale’s franchise single-game assist record with 14. She also tied the Atlanta Dream’s Jordin Canada for the most assists by a player in a game this season.
Bueckers dished out nine of her 14 assists in the first half, marking a career-high for assists in a half. She could have finished with even more had some of her teammates converted a few missed opportunities off her passes.
Bueckers is now averaging 6.2 assists per game this season for the Wings, well ahead of last season’s mark of 5.4 assists per game.
While the Wings are playing well and find themselves on a four-game winning streak, this team has been exciting to watch under new head coach Jose Fernandez. Talented players like Azzi Fudd, Jessica Shepard, Alanna Smith and Aziaha James are all making their presence felt. With such a hot start, it remains to be seen what this team can look like when it reaches its full potential.
Read More:
Paige Bueckers Reaches 250-Assist Milestone More Efficiently Than Caitlin Clark
Wings’ Jessica Shepard Joins Elite Company as She Continues Hot Streak
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