DHJ Quick Take: Paige Bueckers Returns to Los Angeles for Wings-Sparks Rematch
Paige Bueckers heads back to Crypto.com Arena, where she set the WNBA single-game rookie scoring record last August, leading the Dallas Wings into a Friday rematch with the Los Angeles Sparks. She enters as Dallas’ scoring focal point at 18.3 points per game.
- Why is this game notable? Bueckers returns to the site of her 44-point, 17-of-21 rookie record from Aug. 20, 2025, when Dallas fell 81-80 on a Kelsey Plum buzzer-beater.
- Who leads the Wings? Bueckers paces Dallas at 18.3 points per game and tops the team in minutes, points, field goals made, field goals attempted and 3-pointers made.
- What changed for the Sparks? Los Angeles added perimeter defenders Ariel Atkins and Erica Wheeler alongside Nneka Ogwumike, making it a tougher matchup than last season.
- What’s next? The Wings visit the Sparks on Friday at Crypto.com Arena with tip-off set for 9 p.m. CT on ION.
LOS ANGELES — The last time Paige Bueckers played at Crypto.com Arena, she authored one of the greatest scoring nights in WNBA history and still walked off the loser. She returns Friday leading the league’s most efficient offense.
On Aug. 20, 2025, Bueckers set a WNBA single-game rookie scoring record with 44 points on 17-of-21 shooting, becoming the first player in league history to score 40 or more on at least 80% from the field. The Dallas Wings lost 81-80 that night on a Kelsey Plum buzzer-beater.
Both players are back on the floor for the rematch.
The Numbers Behind Paige Bueckers’ Second Season
Bueckers leads the Wings this season at 18.3 points per game and paces the team in minutes, points, field goals made, field goals attempted and 3-pointers made. Through nine games she has totaled 165 points, 33 rebounds, 48 assists and 17 3-pointers, the only WNBA player to reach all four marks.
Head coach Jose Fernandez has long credited her poise.
“Paige was the Rookie of the Year and an All-Star, so second year for her, she’s pretty good,” Fernandez said.
Scouting a Retooled Sparks Team
Bueckers turned her attention to a Sparks team she expects to execute.
“We talked about on the scout how they’re the most efficient half-court offense. They really execute their sets,” Bueckers said. “They change sides of the floor.”
She said the offseason additions made Los Angeles a tougher matchup.
“They brought in Ariel Atkins, who’s a great perimeter defender. Erica Wheeler is a great perimeter defender and a veteran with a lot of experience. And then obviously one of the greatest players ever in Nneka,” Bueckers said. “It’s definitely a different team than last year.”
Bueckers pointed to the defensive end and the glass as the keys.
“Playing aggressive on both sides of the floor, continuing to rebound together as a group, pushing the pace, and hopefully making more shots than we did last game,” Bueckers said.
The Wings visit the Sparks on Friday at Crypto.com Arena with tip-off set for 9 p.m. CT on ION.
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