As this Unrivaled season officially passes the midway point, fans have been treated to some spectacular performances — from broken records to insane game winners. If there is one name at the center of all the hype, it's Paige Bueckers. She's already won the Unrivaled free-throw challenge, hit three of Breeze BC's game-winning shots, and leads the league in assists per game. All while playing in an arena full of people wearing not only her sold-out Unrivaled jersey, but her UConn and Dallas Wings' kits, too.
Paige is coming off her Rookie of the Year season in Dallas, where she finished averaging 19.2 points, 3.9 rebounds, and 5.4 assists. But when you think even further back, Bueckers hasn't had a true break from basketball in almost a year, since winning the National Championship with UConn in April of 2025 and being drafted to the W just over a week later. But if we know anything about PB, it's that she loves this game, and that's only been proven further at Unrivaled.
Paige Bueckers Unrivaled Mixtape ✨ pic.twitter.com/iu3g7iyH5D
— laney ☽｡⋆ (@paigelhoops) January 18, 2026
Paige Bueckers is taking her game to another level
So far this Unrivaled season, Bueckers is sitting at No. 3 in average points with 24.7 per game, and she's shooting 55.3 percent from the floor. Plus, she leads the league in assists, averaging 6.9 per game. Watching her play truly is a masterclass, and we're not the only people who think so — which is where her importance comes in.
The number of Paige Bueckers' jerseys in the crowds tells us just how much of an impact she is having on this game — not just for a growing league like Unrivaled, but for the WNBA and herself as well. Bueckers and Breeze BC were one of the four Unrivaled clubs that travelled to Philly to play at Xfinity Mobile Arena in late January. To say this trip was a success for the league is a massive understatement.
This event smashed a number of records. With 21,490 people in attendance, Unrivaled set a new record for the largest crowd at any regular-season professional women's basketball game in history. They also set a new all-time attendance record at the arena for any event — including men's or women's basketball, and all concerts.
Philly is a women’s sports city #unrivaled pic.twitter.com/rGVHVU2a0c
— tom gilbert (@tomgilbert03) January 31, 2026
Now, I'm not saying this was all because of Paige Bueckers. She said it herself, "The women before us paved the way, and now we're finally getting the recognition, media coverage, accessibility on TV. We're playing in an NBA arena and sold out." But her having a breakout first season with Unrivaled definitely didn't have people not wanting to come watch. And Bueckers is just getting started at Unrivaled. Fans still have the one-on-one tournament to look forward to this season. Plus, she signed a three-year contract with the league in April.
There's a certified chance of this success carrying over into the WNBA season, as well. Paige Bueckers will only keep driving more people to come support women's basketball. The Dallas Wings and their opponents were already selling out games last season — this season, the Bueckers craze will only continue. Fans cannot wait to see what she does next.
This Unrivaled success is important in building Bueckers' game, confidence, and experience for herself, too. Getting to play with new teammates, in a fast-paced 3-on-3 style game, where she is considered one of the leaders of her squad, will surely impact her success in the future. There's a possibility the Dallas Wings make some moves in the offseason to center the franchise and start building around Bueckers.
She now has experience, not only being a leader at UConn for her last couple of college years and now at Unrivaled, but also playing with the other young players of the Breeze, like Dom Malonga, Cameron Brink, and Kate Martin. The club is working relatively well together; they're right in the middle of the standings. With all of this being said, it is safe to say that the Unrivaled Bueckers breakout will be one of the most important parts of women's basketball this year.