Still pinching ourselves for Dallas having to two No. 1 draft picks for 2025. Photo: Tim Heitman/NBAE via Getty Images
The Dallas Wings didn't make it to the playoffs this year, but rookie Paige Bueckers is still flying high. She was voted AP Rookie of the Year on Friday.
Why it matters: Bueckers was one of the league's top players — one of the rare selections to both the AP's All-WNBA Second Team and All-Rookie Team.
She is the second WNBA player to average at least 19 points per game and the third rookie in league history to receive an AP All-WNBA honor.
State of play: The Wings weren't good this season. They finished in the bottom of the Western Conference with a 10-34 record.
But Bueckers still stood out. She scored 44 points against the Los Angeles Sparks on Aug. 20 — the most points scored by any WNBA player since 2023.
And she is now the only player in WNBA history to score over 40 points while shooting at least 80% from the field.
The intrigue: Bueckers is the second Wings player to be named rookie of the year. Guard Allisha Gray was honored in 2017.
The Wings traded Gray to Atlanta in 2023. The Dream are in this year's playoffs, which started yesterday.
