Paige Bueckers continues to shine in the areas where it matters the most. On the floor, she's a midrange savant and extremely unselfish—sometimes to a fault—but whether she's orchestrating the offense or speaking to the media, she's a leader, through and through. After the game, a reporter asked head coach Chris Koclanes about Arike Ogunbowale, but Paige chimed in and gave a very notable response.
A leader and a great teammate. https://t.co/n9WhOdLO9I pic.twitter.com/irER3Y2n6A
— Jah (@JahlilWill) July 13, 2025
The veteran guard had just returned from injury for the first time since June 28th in a win against the Mystics. She had found her offense before going down, scoring 19 or more in four of her last seven games, but she struggled mightily in the rematch against the Fever. Ogunbowale was 0-10 and only scored two points.
Like Bueckers said, despite the off-shooting night, Arike stayed locked in. She wasn't pouting or complaining to the refs. She kept her focus on the task at hand. Unfortunately, it just wasn't her night or the team's as a whole. Rust is to be expected when playing your first game in over two weeks, so that's nothing to worry about. But the leadership Bueckers continues to show is something to be proud of.
Paige Bueckers will lead Dallas to the top
The former Husky is already regarded as one of the best guards in the WNBA, and she's not even halfway through her rookie season. In 16 games, she's averaging 18 points, four rebounds, and five assists, but that's hardly the most impressive part. Her efficiency is what usually steals the show whenever you look at the stat sheet.
She shot 9/15 to score her 21 points against Caitlin Clark and the Indiana Fever, getting back on track after a few subpar games from the field. It's hard to score in professional basketball, so the last thing you expect from a rookie guard who takes a bunch of jump shots is high efficiency, but Bueckers is a natural bucket-getter, so she performs better than most.
The first-year star has finished games shooting 8-10, 8-11, and 13-19, just to name a few special outings. She's the real deal, and the areas where she shines will be instrumental in elevating the Wings to heights unseen. Scoring, defense, unselfishness, and leadership. Those things are necessary from your star player if you want to achieve anything worth celebrating.
She has them all in spades. One thing is for sure, Arike is going to appreciate her rookie having her back. In fact, everyone on that roster will take note of the times that Paige steps up to shield her teammates from criticism. It's necessary and it's inspiring because you ride for the ones who ride for you, and Bueckers is a rider.