Let’s be honest, if your dream guest showed up to see you work, you’d lock in differently. Athletes know that feeling more than anyone. It’s like that meme about guys suddenly playing ten times better when their girlfriend comes to watch at the gym. Paige Bueckers lived out her own version of that moment when her dream celebrity guest pulled up courtside and watched her put on a record-breaking show, ESPN reports.

Last month, Bueckers told Self magazine that she wanted Ellen Pompeo and Shemar Moore to watch her play live. On Wednesday night at Los Angeles’s Crypto.com Arena, one of those wishes became reality. Moore, the longtime star of Criminal Minds, showed up after promising on Instagram that he would make good on her request.

Bueckers didn’t disappoint. She poured in 44 points, grabbed four rebounds, and added three assists and a steal during the Wings’ narrow 81-80 loss to the Sparks. That performance tied Cynthia Cooper’s 1997 mark for the most points ever scored by a rookie in WNBA history. On top of that, Bueckers became the first player in league history to record a 40-point game while shooting 80 percent from the floor.

Moore’s arrival capped the night with a warm moment in the tunnel. After the final buzzer, he embraced Bueckers as she signed autographs, and even introduced her to his daughter, Frankie. “You never know when your boy might show up,” Moore had teased online weeks earlier, and true to his word, he delivered.

Bueckers shines under the spotlight

This isn’t the first time Bueckers has elevated her game in front of stars. Back in June, she scored 27 points and filled the box score with Kyrie Irving in the building, a player she openly calls her favorite. Wednesday’s performance, though, will go down as a landmark. It wasn’t just her best night as a pro, it was a reminder that she thrives on the biggest stages with the brightest eyes on her.

Chet Holmgren of the Thunder and Jalen Green of the Suns also attended the Sparks game, but the spotlight belonged to the Wings guard. Despite Dallas’ season ending without a playoff berth, Bueckers closed her rookie year averaging 19.7 points, 4.1 rebounds, 5.3 assists, and 1.7 steals. The numbers say she’s already elite, but her ability to rise when it matters most hints at a career that could one day redefine the WNBA record books.

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