It’s Paige Bueckers’ world, and we are just living in it. After taking the NCAA realm by storm, the UConn star came into the WNBA this year. And right from the word go, the 23-year-old has been phenomenal in demonstrating her hooping skills. While she has already made a strong case for a Rookie of the Year pick, her recent antics made the Dallas Wings’ coach take note and admire.
Unfortunately, the Dallas Wings’ current season has been quite the opposite of what Bueckers is having right now. With a 9-24 dismal record, the Wings are looking down the barrel at number 11 on the league table. Thankfully, owing to yet another masterclass from the star rookie, Wings managed to pick up a slim 81-80 victory against the Indiana Fever. And pleased at what Bueckers is doing, coach Chris Koclanes was all smiles.
Paige Bueckers Got Chris Koclanes’ Patting For Her Responsible Performance
Playing against the Indiana Fever was never going to be easy for the Wings. Despite the Fever lacking significantly in the absence of Caitlin Clark, they are still a strong playoff contender. On the contrary, Wings played the game without their key playmaker, Arike Ogunbowale. And while that could have turned out to be catastrophic for Dallas, the former Huskies star ensured a smooth sailing.
In reality, the 23-year-old did not have the best of games. Having a game time of thirty-five minutes, Bueckers dropped 16 points. Struggling with her shooting, the Wings’ star had a shooting of 6/19 from the floor. But as she finished with eight rebounds, five assists, and two steals, coach Koclanes oozed pride as she watched the youngster take charge.
“You look at that, 6-19, not her best game most efficient from the field, but those eight assists, and with Arike out, just shouldered such a load. That gets to you when we’re asking you to make play after play after play… Just an incredible rookie,” Koclanes exclaimed (via X/JoeyMistretta).
Chris Koclanes said Paige Bueckers makes the "right play over and over."
— Joey Mistretta (@JoeyMistretta_) August 13, 2025
"You look at that, 6-19, not her best game most efficient from the field, but those eight assists, and with Arike out, just shouldered such a load. That gets to you when we're asking you to make play after…
As a result of such a spirited play from the former NCAA star, the Wings surely breathed a sigh of relief. Prior to this game, the Wings lost five games in a row. With this win, the Dallas outfit would take heart and try to rebuild from here. And they had some positives to take away from the game. Apart from Bueckers, the likes of Li Yueru and Maddy Siegrist stepped up and chipped in with 20 and 22 points, respectively. Meanwhile, with things looking rosy for the 23-year-old rookie, Sophie Cunningham had some serious allegations to share.
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Sophie Cunningham Not Pleased With Refs Favoring Paige Bueckers
Losing by a solitary point will surely feel utterly frustrating. And while the Fever is currently licking its wounds, Sophie Cunningham is not hiding her frustrations. Despite getting into trouble earlier, Cunningham is not toning down on her alleged double-standard officiating. After the game against Dallas, the 28-year-old lashed out at the referee for allegedly favoring Bueckers.
“I love Paige to death, do not get me wrong. I think she’s a hell of a player and would love to play with her one day, but those refs were giving her every whistle last night. You literally couldn’t touch her, couldn’t touch her,” Cunningham said (via YouTube/Show Me Something Sophie Cunningham & West Wilson).
Cunningham also expressed her anger at how the officials refrained from calling fouls when it came to the Fever athletes. With all the development coming in, one thing is clear: Paige Bueckers is making a lot of noise in just her rookie year. And with the skillset touted to make her a successful star, the 23-year-old is surely set for some incredible feats in the long run.