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ARLINGTON, TX — The Dallas Wings have been starting JJ Quinerly at point guard in recent action, with Paige Bueckers and Arike Ogunbowale playing off the ball on the wings. Before the season started, Bueckers was on track to run the point, something she has done at times throughout the 2025 campaign. However, her role has changed throughout the year. Does Bueckers have a preference?
“Just doing what the game calls for,” Bueckers told reporters before Wednesday's game against the Las Vegas Aces. “I like playing both, I'm not gonna put myself in a box and say I gotta play on or off the ball. Just finding the balance of both… I can do a better job with that.”
Bueckers also shared her thoughts on Quinerly's performance at the position.
“She's been great,” Bueckers said of Quinerly. “Controlling our flow, controlling our tempo, controlling our pace.”
Paige Bueckers, who experienced playing both on and off the ball at the college level, added that JJ Quinerly does a good job of getting the ball up the floor fast so the team can get shots “earlier in the offense.”
“She's aggressive on both sides of the floor,” Bueckers added. “So, she's been doing a great job.”
Before the game, Wings head coach Chris Koclanes commented on the decision to have Bueckers play off the ball.
“Yeah, a little bit of both,” Koclanes said of if playing off the ball is an effort to get Bueckers more scoring opportunities. “When she is on the ball, she’s getting picked up 94 feet and just working so hard to get the ball over half court… When you can get her off ball and you can relieve some of that… You can give her back some of her legs. So, you just got to find that balance of what’s the matchup, who are they putting on her.
“I just feel we’ve been a lot better with JJ on the floor a lot lately. She’s really got our pace and tempo going… Those two have been good together.”
Paige Bueckers has unquestionably enjoyed a tremendous rookie season, but she has only recorded 3.3 three-point attempts per outing. Does Bueckers believe that playing off the ball will lead to more looks from deep?
“Yeah, I just think just moving without the ball… Other people getting inside the paint creating spray opportunities,” Bueckers said.
It is worth mentioning that Arike Ogunbowale told reporters before the game that Bueckers and Quinerly are alternating between the point guard spot, despite the fact that Quinerly confirmed she is the current point guard at practice on Tuesday. Either way, there is clearly an effort to play Bueckers off the ball more consistently.
