Dallas Wings guard Paige Bueckers has enjoyed a historic rookie season. After missing some time early in the year due to injury, some fans/media around the WNBA wondered if Washington Mystics rookies Sonia Citron or Kiki Iriafen could upset the Wings' No. 1 overall pick for the Rookie of the Year Award, however. There were some “think” pieces/posts about why Iriafen or Citron could get the job done. Even in recent action — despite the fact that Bueckers leads all rookies in many statistics and has earned back-to-back Rookie of the Month Awards — some have suggested that the Rookie of the Year race is closer than one may imagine.

But that's just not the case.

One user on X, formerly Twitter, made it clear they weren't saying Citron is a better player than Bueckers. The account, belonging to Jamie Lardis, did suggest that Bueckers' statistics are “empty calories“, however. Everyone is entitled to their opinion, but the post is worth addressing since it has gone quite viral (over 132 thousand views as of this story's publication).

Bueckers leads all rookies in points and assists per game. She also happens to have the most steals per outing. The “empty calories” claim shouldn't be thrown around without a reasonable argument aside from the Wings' struggles, though.

Paige Bueckers' underlying statistics tell the full story

Dallas Wings guard Paige Bueckers (5) celebrates during the second half against the Indiana Fever at the American Airlines Center.
Jerome Miron-Imagn Images

Looking beyond the general statistics, Bueckers' 20.9 PER (player efficiency rating) leads all rookies. Iriafen, not Citron, is second with a mark of 16.3. Citron checks in third with 15.9.

Bueckers' PIE (player impact estimate) mark is also the best among rookies who have played in 15 or more games, as she holds a 13.4 mark as of this story's publication.

Leading the league in two important advanced statistics doesn't sound like empty calories statistics to me, but there's more proof of Bueckers' convincing Rookie of the Year argument.

Bueckers' 102.9 offensive rating also leads Citron. Paige's 2.63 assist-turnover ratio is the best among rookies. The Wings rookie also has one of the better turnover percentages with a mark of 8.6.

I will give Citron credit where credit is due — her 59.1 true shooting percentage leads Bueckers' 54.7. That isn't surprising, though, as Citron often gets better looks playing for a much better Mystics team. Citron is a shooter who can wait for the open shot while Bueckers often creates for herself in the mid-range.

Consistency is crucial as well. Who do you think leads the league in 20-point games among WNBA rookies in 2025?

Bueckers holds the lead by a convincing margin. She has scored 20 or more points on 12 separate occasions while Citron is second with four such contests. Iriafen is third with three and no other rookie has more than one 20-point performance.

Bueckers will win Rookie of the Year, but there is quality competition

In all reality, there isn't a great argument for any other player to win the award in 2025. With that being said, Sonia Citron is a good player. She would be the favorite in most other seasons. Kiki Iriafen would also have an argument in other years.

Bueckers is simply having one of the better rookie years in WNBA history. It seems like every night she is approaching or accomplishing a new historic feat for a rookie.

So, why write this article now?

Lardis' post isn't the first time we've seen someone suggest that Bueckers' statistics aren't as impactful as another rookie. I don't mean to only call this specific post out, but Lardis' stance has been shared by others. As a result, I felt the subject was worth addressing.

One other argument people will make is Bueckers' up and down clutch time stats. We have to remember that Bueckers is already the best player on a struggling Wings team, so defenses are able to place additional pressure on her in those moments. Citron, Iriafen or other rookies on better teams will have more opportunities to perform well in the clutch moments since defenses need to balance their attention on various players.

Meanwhile, it isn't surprising to see Bueckers double-teamed in the final minutes of games.

All things considered, it's clear Paige Bueckers is the front-runner to win the 2025 WNBA Rookie of the Year Award, and there truly isn't much of an argument otherwise.