Paige Bueckers poured in a season- and career-high 44 points—the most in the league this year and tied for 10th most all-time—but it wasn’t enough, as the Dallas Wings narrowly fell to the Los Angeles Sparks, 81–80, on Wednesday in L.A., officially ending their playoff hopes.
Bueckers’ 44 points came on an incredible 81 percent shooting from the field, along with three assists and four rebounds in a determined effort to keep the Wings’ playoff hopes alive. Despite her dominant performance, it wasn’t enough to carry Dallas to the win.
Despite the incredible showing, Kelsey Plum had the last laugh with a game-winner at the buzzer:
Plum had 20 points and four boards for the Sparks, while Cameron Brink tallied 11 points and eight rebounds. Rickea Jackson led the charge with 25 points, powering the Sparks to the narrow victory.
Despite Bueckers’ standout rookie season, the Wings dropped to 9-27 and were officially eliminated from playoff contention. Meanwhile, the Sparks improved to 17-18, tightening the race for the final playoff spots with the Seattle Storm and Golden State Valkyries.
The last time Bueckers and Brink squared off on Aug. 15, Bueckers made history—setting the franchise rookie assist record with her 143rd of the season and becoming the fastest rookie in WNBA history to reach 500 points and 100 assists.
When these two meet, sparks always fly.
Luisa Geiselsoder opened the scoring for the Wings with a deep 25-foot three, followed by another triple from Paige Bueckers—both assisted by Grace Berger. Bueckers added a free throw and a midrange jumper to cap a 9-0 run, as the Sparks went scoreless through the first five minutes.
By the end of the first quarter, Bueckers had eight points, while Brink chipped in five, including a three-pointer.
Despite the slow start, the Sparks led heading into the second quarter and carried that momentum with four quick points. With under four minutes to play and Dallas trailing by 13, a Wings timeout sparked a turnaround. Dallas responded with a 13-point burst out of the break, trimming the deficit to 44-37 by halftime.
Bueckers led the Wings at the half with 16 points on 75 percent shooting. Siegrist added nine, and JJ Quinerly contributed five. For the Sparks, Rickea Jackson paced the team with 17 points, while Brink recorded five points and five rebounds.
The Wings erupted for 29 points in the third quarter, holding the Sparks to just 15 in a dominant stretch that flipped the game. While it was a full-team effort, Bueckers stole the spotlight, pouring in 15 points during the quarter. Dallas took a 66-59 lead into the final 10 minutes.
The Sparks opened the fourth quarter with a 10-0 run before Bueckers stopped the bleeding with a clutch three to briefly reclaim the lead. She scored all 14 of Dallas’ fourth-quarter points in a heroic solo effort, but it wasn’t enough— Plum buried the game-winner in the final seconds, spoiling the rookie’s standout night.
Dallas will face the Seattle Storm at home on Friday while the Sparks will get a lengthy break until they face the Phoenix Mercury at home next Tuesday.
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