It looks like Paige Bueckers is going to be just fine.
The Dallas Wings rookie quieted plenty of concerns with her performance against the Seattle Storm Monday night. The Wings might have suffered a 79-71 loss, but Bueckers certainly came out on top racked up 19 points, 8 assists, 5 rebounds, and 2 steals.
Bueckers also looked like a significantly more confident player against the Storm, something that was lacking during her first game against the Lynx.
Paige Bueckers got off to a strong start against the Storm
Bueckers had a solid first quarter, hitting 7 points – including an impressive 3-pointer – in under a minute, which helped the Wings gain a quick lead. Passing also significantly improved throughout the team for the Wings, with Myisha Hines-Allen adding 4 assists of her own.
The rookie struggled during the second quarter, adding only 5 points to her total and contributing a few turnovers to the Storm. She lost the ball to Alysha Clark, who neatly intercepted a pass, and later attempted to catch a pass of her own but Gabby Williams drove past her toward the basket before kicking it out to Skylar Diggins, who hit the three.
Something clicked during halftime, and Bueckers hit the court during the third quarter with a renewed fire under her. She added three assists to the team's total, something that helped the team improve overall. Bueckers didn't have a lot of points but she contributed in other impactful ways (two rebounds and two steals) and the Wings seemed poised to come back – though that run was ended in the fourth.
Playing an aggressive game will help Bueckers in the pros
Bueckers learned after her debut game against the Lynx that if she wants to be a powerful presence in the WNBA she needs to be more aggressive on the floor. That Bueckers can be almost too much of a team player isn't exactly new. Back in February UConn's Coach Geno Auriemma told reporters, "She draws a lot of attention to herself, which is good. She could try to go out there and try to get 25 shots every night if she wanted it to be that way, but she doesn't. And... I just want to make sure she takes advantage of all the opportunities that she has."
If her second game is any indication, it certainly seems like Bueckers has got the message — and that she will continue to put herself out there to make sure the Wings do everything they can this season. The team has a lot of new players and schemes to work through and understand, but one thing is for sure: Bueckers is more than capable of rising to the challenge, and could make the Wings a significant threat in seasons to come.