Paige Bueckers' historic start in the WNBA already has her chasing Caitlin Clark

Dallas Wings rookie guard Paige Bueckers continues her meteoric rise into WNBA history, becoming just the second rookie alongside Caitlin Clark to record 35+ points and five made 3-pointers in a single game.

Paige Bueckers is shining, even as her team struggles

Bueckers delivered the historic performance in Wednesday night’s 93–80 loss to the Phoenix Mercury, finishing with 35 points, six rebounds, and four assists on an ultra-efficient 13-of-19 shooting. It marked the highest-scoring game of her young career and tied Clark for the most 35-point outings by a rookie. With two more 30-point performances, Bueckers would surpass Clark in that category as well.

It was a return to the court that couldn’t have come at a better time for Dallas. After missing four games due to a concussion and subsequent illness, Bueckers was thrust back into the spotlight — and she responded by logging 37 of the game’s 40 minutes, a clear sign of how much the Wings are leaning on her.

The rest of the team struggled to match her energy. Arike Ogunbowale, Dallas’ leading scorer this season, had one of her quietest outings of the year with just 10 points on 2-of-10 shooting. The scoring burden fell almost entirely on Bueckers — and she delivered.

While fans expected an offensive explosion at some point during the season, few anticipated it coming this soon. Through her first seven WNBA games, Bueckers is averaging 17.6 points, 6.3 assists, and 1.9 steals per game, quickly emerging as the front-runner for Rookie of the Year. If she wins, she’d become the fourth consecutive No. 1 overall pick to take home the award, following Rhyne Howard, Aliyah Boston, and Clark.

But individual success hasn’t translated into team wins. The Wings sit at a league-worst 1–9, struggling across nearly every major category. They currently own the third-worst defensive rating in the WNBA and lack consistency on both ends of the floor.

Still, Bueckers’ brilliance offers Dallas a glimmer of hope. She may not be on track to break the full slate of rookie records Clark set, but her performances are carving out a legacy of their own. The comparisons will be inevitable, but they’ll never be equal — these are two uniquely talented players impacting the league in different ways.

And if Bueckers continues her rise while lifting Dallas even marginally along the way, the WNBA’s next superstar might already be here — just wearing a different jersey than expected.