Wings' Paige Bueckers is clear about her future after loss to Caitlin Clark's Fever

Paige Bueckers is not utilized to losing. At 1 constituent during her precocious schoolhouse career, Bueckers led nan Hopkins Royals to 62 consecutive wins. At nan University of Connecticut, Bueckers played successful 4 Final Fours and overcame aggregate knee injuries to triumph a nationalist title pinch nan Huskies earlier this year.

Now successful nan WNBA, Bueckers is uncovering nan victories tougher to travel by. After a nonaccomplishment to Caitlin Clark's Indiana Fever connected Sunday, Bueckers and nan Dallas Wings slipped to 6-16 astatine nan 2025 season's midway constituent -- moreover though Bueckers, individually, has been outstanding.

Though she has missed 4 games done injury, Bueckers is nan fastest defender since her UConn idol Diana Taurasi to scope 300 points, 50 assists and 50 rebounds in nan WNBA. A virtual shoo-in for Rookie of nan Year honors, Bueckers is averaging 18.3 points, 5.4 assists, 4.1 rebounds and 1.7 steals while playing dense minutes for nan Wings, who person a 15-47 grounds since nan commencement of 2024.

MORE: Wings' Paige Bueckers prompts interest amid different rookie workload

In Indiana, Bueckers led each players pinch 21 points, but nan Wings turned nan shot complete 17 times and allowed nan Fever to sprout 52 percent from nan section successful a 102-83 loss.

After nan game, Bueckers said Dallas' modulation defense was "an issue"; nether first-year caput coach Chris Koclanes, nan Wings rank 11th successful protect standing and ninth successful force turnover percentage. 

But pinch truthful galore young players successful nan lineup -- including promising rookies Aziaha James and JJ Quinerly -- Bueckers believes that nan Wings are connected nan correct way to building a winner, contempt nan struggles they person endured successful 2025.

"There's nary skipping steps to building what we want to build here," Bueckers said Sunday. "This is portion of nan journey. We are gonna instrumentality together done it."

Dallas, which has a 5-5 grounds since its 1-11 start, is adjacent successful action connected Wednesday, erstwhile Bueckers and institution will big A'ja Wilson and nan Las Vegas Aces astatine College Park Center successful Arlington.

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• Paige Bueckers vs. Caitlin Clark rookie stats: Comparing first seasons of WNBA No. 1 picks

• A’ja Wilson stats beryllium she’s successful a convention of her ain successful chaotic Aces decorativeness complete Valkyries

• Indiana Fever president appears to delete full societal media relationship aft Caitlin Clark "brand" message