Subscribe
Follow Us
Pretty much every rookie in the WNBA has a ‘welcome to the W’ moment, that is, a moment where it truly hit them that they are in the WNBA. For some rookies, that could be an embarrassing moment. For others, that could be an enlightening moment. For Dallas Wings All-Star and No. 1 overall pick Paige Bueckers, that rookie moment came against the Las Vegas Aces in the preseason.
Bueckers revealed during a one-on-one segment with ESPN’s Elle Duncan that her ‘welcome to the W’ moment was during preseason when she took a shoulder to the gut from Aces wing Jackie Young.
“It was actually during preseason, I caught a Jackie Young shoulder check to the gut and I just bent over,” Bueckers said. “I had to catch my breath for a second. Everyone was like, ‘yo, you good,’ and I was yeah I just need a second. She’s pretty strong.”
But her welcome to the WNBA moment aside, Paige Bueckers has transitioned to the league quite well during her rookie season with the Wings. She was one of three rookies who were selected to the All-Star team this season, joining Kiki Iriafen and Sonia Citron of the Washington Mystics.
Bueckers has appeared in 19 games so far at a little over 34 minutes per game. She’s been averaging 18.2 points, 4.0 rebounds, 5.5 assists and 1.7 steals with splits of 44.9 percent shooting from the field, 32.3 percent shooting from the three-point line and 84 percent shooting from the free-throw line.
Bueckers was long tabbed as the No. 1 pick in the draft, and when the Wings were awarded the top pick, it was never in doubt who they were going to select. She leads the Wings in points per game, assists and minutes played. Bueckers missed a few games earlier in the season due to being placed in league concussion protocol, but she’s been rather durable since. It’s clear the Wings have a franchise cornerstone on their hands.
