The Dallas Wings’ season effectively ended Tuesday, but Paige Bueckers made sure it wouldn’t be forgotten. The rookie guard lit up the Los Angeles Sparks for 44 points in an 81-80 loss, a performance that immediately entered the league’s record books.
Her scoring total was the most ever by a first-year player and the highest single-game output by anyone this WNBA season. For a night, Bueckers looked unstoppable.
The Sparks, who ultimately survived thanks to late free throws, had nothing but respect for what they witnessed.
“She’s a phenomenal player. Point blank period,” LA forward Cameron Brink said afterward.
Cameron Brink on Paige Bueckers: “She’s a phenomenal player. Point blank period.” #Sparks
— LoJo Media (@LoJoMedia) August 21, 2025
What set the game apart wasn’t just the scoring, but the efficiency. Bueckers went 17-of-21 from the floor and buried every shot from deep. No player in WNBA history had ever scored 40 or more while hitting 80 percent of their attempts—until now.
Cameron Brink quietly had a strong showing of her own, finishing with 11 points and eight boards on 5-of-9 shooting, but even her contribution was drowned out by Bueckers’ fireworks.
Paige Bueckers Credits Teammates After Career-High Night
Despite rewriting the rookie record book, Paige Bueckers deflected the attention toward her teammates.
“Just my teammates getting me open,” she said. “Screening for me, running some off-ball actions, trying to get myself open looks. Just bringing the ball up the floor. (Luisa Geiselsoder) set amazing screens for me the entire night and then my teammates just looking for me, getting me the ball, getting me open.”
The No. 1 overall pick out of UConn has been under the spotlight since draft night, but games like this show why she was billed as a franchise-changer. She’s already positioning herself as the front-runner for Rookie of the Year.
For Dallas, though, the result stung. The narrow defeat dropped the Wings to 9-27 and mathematically ended their playoff chase. They’ll close the year playing for pride, starting Friday against the Seattle Storm.
For Bueckers, the stage only seems to be getting bigger—and nights like this suggest it won’t be the last time she makes history.
For more basketball content, click on Hardwood Heroics. Sabel Reyes can be reached through sabelreyes22@gmail.com. Other websites under the Sports Heroics umbrella are Gridiron Heroics and Wisconsin Heroics.
Sabel has been working as a field reporter for People’s Television Network (PTV), mainly about the Philippine Basketball Association since 2016 and has been elevated to Executive Producer for sports in 2022. Aside from being on top of the Philippine sports scene, she is also a running enthusiast. You can also follow her on X at @SabelReyes2 and Instagram at @msabelreyes.
