Paige Bueckers put her arms in the air with her hands together, a smile accompanying the prayer-like motion when the Dallas Wings star finally made a shot after a rare scoreless first half.
asserted
star → put → half
The reigning WNBA Rookie of the Year knew she had missed her first seven shots in a random mid-August game against a team on a nine-game losing streak.
asserted
she → reign → streak
It illustrated the self-awareness Bueckers has shown as a pro, from the rookie No. 1 overall pick learning how to cope with losing in much larger doses to the second-year leader helping navigate the ups and downs for a contender.
asserted
Bueckers → illustrate → contender
Now she’s ready for her WNBA playoff debut Sunday against the Golden State Valkyries.
asserted
she → ’ → Valkyries
“Very excited,” Bueckers said.
asserted
Bueckers → say → ?
“It’s what you play for to be able to play in the postseason, to play for something that means so much.
asserted
that → ’ → much
To be able to do it with this squad, I’m looking forward to it.
asserted
I → do → it
In that 94-88 victory over Toronto last month, Bueckers made all four shots in a 13-point third quarter and ended up leading the Wings with 22 points.
asserted
Bueckers → make → points
Dallas ended a three-game losing streak that was part of the most challenging stretch of the season, with eight losses in 11 games.
asserted
that → end → games
On either side of that funk, the Wings had six-game winning streaks that are the longest since the club moved to the Dallas area 10 years ago.
asserted
club → have → area
How Bueckers copes with losing
asserted
Bueckers → cop → ?
Those two streaks alone gave the Wings more than the 10 victories they had while Bueckers was on her way to top rookie honors last year for a team that tied for the league’s worst record.
asserted
that → give → record
The 34 losses a year ago were twice as many as the combined number of her four seasons at UConn, where she won the 2025 national championship before Dallas drafted her No. 1 overall.
asserted
Dallas → combine → .
“Every season has its journeys and its ups and downs and the waves of success and the waves of failure,” Bueckers said.
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Bueckers → have → failure
“I think it’s so easy throughout a season to lose confidence or let that waver.
asserted
that → think → confidence
Continue to stay dedicated on getting better every single day and not be result-driven, as I’ve learned last year and I learned throughout my entire life.
asserted
I → continue → life
It’s just staying steady throughout the season as well.”
asserted
It → stay → season
Bueckers led all rookies in scoring at 19.2 points per game and assists at 5.4.
asserted
Bueckers → lead → 5.4
That’s good news and bad news for first-year coach Jose Fernandez, who hoped to let the versatile Bueckers play off the ball more but instead had to lean on her to run the offense.
asserted
Bueckers → ’ → offense
Bueckers also pushed her rebounding average over four and is one of just three players in league history to average at least 20 points, four rebounds and five assists per game in a season.
asserted
Bueckers → push → season
Diana Taurasi did it 13 years ago, and Arika Ogunbowale did it for Dallas in 2024, the year before she became Bueckers’ teammate.
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she → do → 2024
“She plays with so much energy and vigor and love for the game,” Fernandez said.
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Fernandez → play → game
“She just makes everybody around her better, and you can tell how much she cares about winning.
asserted
she → make → winning
She’s just special.
asserted
She → ’ → ?
She wants to win at everything.”
asserted
She → want → everything
Reconnecting with Fudd
Bueckers lost so much as a rookie, the Wings ended up with the No. 1 pick again and drafted her former UConn teammate, Azzi Fudd.
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Wings → reconnecte → teammate
Their reconnection was cut short when a sore knee sidelined Fudd and she ended up having season-ending surgery.
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she → cut → surgery
Fudd played 30 games, the first six off the bench before she joined Bueckers in the starting lineup for good.
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she → play → lineup
“We had a good sample size this season,” Bueckers said.
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Bueckers → have → size
“Of course, it’s a missing piece that we’re gonna have moving forward (in the playoffs).
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we → ’ → playoffs
Can’t really replicate her shooting ability, her spacing ability, but also what she does defensively for us.
asserted
she → replicate → us
Looking forward to her getting healthy and being back healthy on the floor next year, but just staying present right now.”
asserted
her → look → floor
A hot and hectic finish
The Wings won seven of eight to finish the regular season, a hot streak interrupted by a nearly three-week break when Bueckers played her first major tournament with the senior national team.
asserted
Bueckers → win → team
The U.S. won gold at the FIBA World Cup in Berlin, and Bueckers played all four games in eight days once the season resumed.
asserted
season → win → days
“Things like that have pros and cons,” Bueckers said.
asserted
Bueckers → have → pros
“We’ve been able to stay in shape and stay in game-ready shape, but mentally wise, we didn’t really get a break.
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we → stay → break
But also finding rest, finding ways to recover, getting back into the routine, my body’s feeling good.”
asserted
body → find → routine
General manager Curt Miller, who has been on the Team USA staff in the past, didn’t have any doubt Bueckers could handle the hectic finish because he saw how she prepared for the start.
uncertain
she → have → start
Bueckers worked on building strength in the offseason, and Miller thought it showed during the fourth quarters of games.
asserted
it → work → games
“She really does have the keys to this franchise now,” Miller said.
asserted
Miller → have → franchise
…and 2 more, not listed.
The Aporia
