‘She’s So Efficient, It’s Unbelievable’: Paige Bueckers Scores Record 44 Points in Dallas Wings’ Loss to Los Angeles Sparks
Kelsey Plum banked in the winning shot just before the final buzzer, and the Los Angeles Sparks beat the Dallas Wings 81–80 on Wednesday night to spoil rookie Paige Bueckers’ career-high 44-point performance at Crypto.com Arena.
Bueckers was nearly flawless, going 17-of-21 from the field, 4-of-4 from three, and 6-of-6 at the line, while adding four rebounds, three assists, and a steal. Maddy Siegrist chipped in 13 points, four rebounds, three steals, and three blocks. Luisa Geiselsöder had nine points, six boards, two assists, and three steals, and Grace Berger posted a career-high seven assists to go with six rebounds, two steals, and three blocks. Haley Jones added three points, four rebounds, and two steals.
Dallas, however, lost guard JJ Quinerly to a left leg injury in the third quarter after she had scored five points with two rebounds in 18 minutes. She was ultimately able to put weight on her leg before leaving the arena, but her absence left the Wings with just eight available players.
The Sparks were led by Rickea Jackson’s 25 points and career-high six 3-pointers. Plum scored 20, including the buzzer-beating floater. Dearica Hamby added 13 points and nine rebounds, and Cameron Brink contributed 11 points and eight boards off the bench. Julie Allemand had eight assists to direct the offense.
The loss dropped Dallas to 9–27 and eliminated both the Wings and Chicago Sky from playoff contention. Los Angeles improved to 17–18, winning for the eighth time in their last 11 meetings with Dallas.
Paige Bueckers Has Record-Setting Game
Bueckers’ 44-point outburst surpassed Candace Parker’s rookie scoring record of 40 set in 2008 and became the first 40+ point game by a rookie in Dallas franchise history. She became the first player in WNBA history to score 40 or more while shooting at least 80% from the field, finishing a perfect 4-of-4 from three and 6-of-6 at the line. It was the highest-scoring game in the league this season and tied the franchise record for most field goals made in a game (17).
“Repetition in practice and games, learning, watching film—finding ways to get to my spots more efficiently, attacking mismatches, using teammates as screeners, attacking in transition,” Bueckers said. “Every possession is different, so it’s just reading the game and taking what the defense gives you.”
Bueckers leaned heavily on her mid-range jumper throughout the night, a weapon she believes is increasingly overlooked in today’s game.
“Basketball has gone away from it—it’s mostly layups and threes,” Bueckers said. “So it’s hard to guard. Teams don’t know how to guard it, and it’s an advantage if you can score there. You don’t want to settle, but being able to score in that middle area is important too.”
Her effort also moved her past Arike Ogunbowale for the most double-digit scoring games in a rookie season (29).
“She’s so efficient, it’s unbelievable,” Maddy Siegrist told DallasHoopsJournal.com. “For a rookie, I don’t even have words. Just unreal. I’m so happy I get to play with her.”
Head coach Chris Koclanes said Bueckers has already answered every question about her candidacy for Rookie of the Year.
“Pre-game Mary Murphy asked me why she’s Rookie of the Year,” he said. “I don’t think I need to answer that after tonight. She takes what the defense gives her, plays at her own pace, and doesn’t get sped up. Even on the last play, when people thought she should shoot, she trusted her teammate and made the right play. That’s who she is. We’re lucky to have her.”
Earlier in the day, she had also received her Wooden Award trophy at shootaround, which she framed as another team accomplishment.
“Tonight, I was just reading what the defense was giving me. My teammates had great screens, and in transition, I could get downhill, hit some threes, and attack,” Bueckers told DallasHoopsJournal.com. “With the Wooden Award, I’ve always said individual accomplishments are acknowledgements of team accomplishments. At UConn, my teammates and coaches believed in me, helped me become who I am. The athletic training staff and everyone who helped me come back from injuries deserve huge credit.”
A Game of Runs
Dallas came out firing with a 9–0 run, fueled by Grace Berger’s playmaking and six quick points from Bueckers. But Rickea Jackson responded with eight straight points to end the quarter, and Los Angeles used a 30–9 run spanning the first and second quarters to take control.
Siegrist said the Sparks’ versatility forced Dallas to adjust constantly.
“They hurt you everywhere — hit a lot of threes, score inside, have a lot of shot-blockers,” Bueckers said to DallasHoopsJournal.com. “As a group, we just have to learn from it and be better.”
Down 12 late in the second quarter, Dallas trimmed the deficit to 44–37 at halftime behind a combined 16 points from Bueckers and Siegrist.
The Wings roared back in the third, outscoring Los Angeles 29–15. Luisa Geiselsöder and Haley Jones buried back-to-back threes, and Bueckers took over with 15 points on a flawless 6-of-6 shooting.
“The way we came out of the locker room — we put our foot on the gas defensively,” Geiselsöder told DallasHoopsJournal.com. “We were more aggressive, guarded the three-point line much better than in the first half, and were really physical. That made it tougher that we couldn’t finish and get the win, but in the bigger picture, the progress this team is making is real.”
Berger, who finished with a career-high seven assists, agreed that Dallas’ energy shifted the game.
“Paige’s aggression—she can do this every game. She’s such a team player she sometimes forgets to look for herself, but when she’s aggressive, it’s huge for us.” Berger said to DallasHoopsJournal.com. “Our defensive intensity too—we’re really focusing on that whether shots go in or not. The second half, our defense was pretty good. We just need to finish, execute late, take care of the ball, get it in Paige’s hands, and get a stop on the last play.”
A Painful Ending Despite Paige Bueckers’ Masterclass
The Sparks clawed back in the fourth, and the final quarter featured nine lead changes and three ties. Bueckers scored 13 of Dallas’ 14 points in the frame, hitting her last free throw with 1:03 remaining to give the Wings a 79–78 edge and secure her 44th point.
“My teammates got me open — screening for me, running off-ball actions, trying to get me looks,” Bueckers said. “Lou set amazing screens all night. My teammates looked for me, got me the ball, got me open. That was really them.”
But with the game on the line, Plum attacked Geiselsöder off a hard hedge and banked in the game-winning floater.
“I tried to hedge her out, push her to her hand,” Geiselsöder explained to DallasHoopsJournal.com. “She beat my hip and then went down the lane. That’s on me. She hit a tough floater. That’s really what happened.”
Siegrist appreciated the Wings’ defensive execution against a high-powered Sparks offense, but admitted that Dallas could be better down the stretch.
“They’re a talented team. Holding them to 81 points is great,” Siegrist said to DallasHoopsJournal.com. “Obviously, it’s not the way we wanted it. But shout out to P — she played great tonight. Just think we have to be a little bit better down the stretch.”
Bigger Picture and Lessons Learned
Even in defeat, players emphasized the progress being made.
“We’re right there,” Koclanes told DallasHoopsJournal.com. “This young group keeps scratching and clawing, putting themselves in positions to win. Now we need to learn how to finish. These games are great film and learning opportunities. I’m proud of the fight.”
He added that Dallas responded better than in last week’s loss to the Sparks.
“We threw another punch. Responded with fight and physicality. The game got chippy, but I liked how we competed,” Koclanes explained to DallasHoopsJournal.com. “Held a good offensive team to 80 and kept them off the free-throw line, which was a big focus after sending them there 25 times last game.”
Berger was encouraged by some adjustments the Wings made defensively, emphasizing the importance of communication defensively.
“We tweaked some things, but for us it’s really effort, communication, and being on the same page,” Berger told DallasHoopsJournal.com. “We want to hang our hat on that end regardless of offense. Some schemes change game to game, but mostly it was effort and talking — things we can control.”
As the team looks ahead, she emphasized her role in keeping Bueckers involved. The better Bueckers plays, the more aggressive opposing teams tend to become in trying to deny her a catch or to blitz and load up on her to get the ball out of her hands.
“It’s hard when defenses are double- and triple-teaming her, so we need to be creative,” Berger detailed to DallasHoopsJournal.com. “In transition, you look for her right away — she can bring it up, get an early drag screen, and work from there. However, she gets the ball, she’s going to make something happen. We just need to find ways to get her touches.”
For Bueckers, the fight of the group remains more important than any record. There is belief in the long-term potential of this Wings team despite having a struggling record this season.
“I’ve always prided myself and the team on winning — that’s the main goal,” Bueckers said. “But I’m proud of this team and the way we fight. This group means so much to me. It could be easy to be miserable with our record, but the way we show up for each other, learn, and grow together is exciting. The wins haven’t translated yet, but what we’re building makes me so happy. I’m grateful and proud of every one of my teammates.”
The arena had plenty of fans wearing Bueckers’ jersey — both her UConn and Wings threads. She took time to recognize the support she’s received on her journey.
“It means a lot,” Bueckers said. “People have seen the struggle, the injuries, the times when I couldn’t play. For people to continue to follow me and believe in me — it really means a lot. I’ll never take that for granted.”
He closed by pointing to energy as the biggest takeaway while remaining encouraged by the team’s outlook after reviewing film.
“Proud of our effort,” Koclanes said. “You can mask a lot of schematic slippage with energy and fight. Against LA earlier this year, we clawed back from down 15. Tonight, we executed well out of timeouts. There are possessions we want back, but we’ll learn, watch film, and keep trusting each other.”
Looking Ahead
Despite the loss, Siegrist viewed the two-game road trip as a reminder of what Dallas is building toward despite losses against the Las Vegas Aces and the Sparks.
“Vegas is a playoff team, and the Sparks are trying to be one. You see where we have to be,” Siegrist said to DallasHoopsJournal.com. “If anything, take it as a measuring stick.”
The Wings will now return to Arlington for a three-game homestand, beginning Friday against the Seattle Storm at College Park Center (6:30 p.m. CT, ION).
More Dallas Wings News & WNBA Rumors
- WNBA News: “She Is Rookie of the Year”: Chris Koclanes Makes Paige Bueckers’ Case Ahead of Los Angeles Sparks Matchup
- WNBA News: “She Was Somebody I Aspired to Be”: Paige Bueckers on Sue Bird’s Legacy as Seattle Storm Unveil Statue
- WNBA News: Dallas Wings’ Li Yueru Out for Season With ACL Sprain, Arike Ogunbowale Has No Timetable With Knee Tendinitis
- WNBA News: “We’ve Got to Be Better Defensively”: Dallas Wings Overwhelmed by Las Vegas Aces’ 18 Threes, A’ja Wilson in Loss
- WNBA News: “It’s About How You Contribute to Winning”: Paige Bueckers Breaks Dallas Wings Rookie Assist Record, Fastest to 500 Points
- WNBA News: “I Saw That Dog in Her Today”: Paige Bueckers Shines but Dallas Wings’ Late Rally Falls Short vs. Los Angeles Sparks
- WNBA News: “Paige Will Be a Unifier”: Curt Miller Details Dallas Wings’ Roster Plan Around Paige Bueckers
