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Dallas Wings rookie Paige Bueckers exploded for 35 points on Wednesday against the Phoenix Mercury, matching Caitlin Clark's WNBA career-high in just eight games. Coming off a near two-week injury layoff, Bueckers fired on all cylinders in the 93-80 loss. She shot 13 of 19, including 5-of-7 from the 3-point line and 4-of-5 from the free throw, displaying impeccable efficiency.
Not just that, Bueckers also stuffed the box score in other areas with six rebounds, four assists, a steal and a block. Bueckers had 22 in the first half alone on 8-of-10 shooting. She made her first six shots, setting herself up for a big night. Bueckers capitalized on it with 13 second-half points.
Fans have been divided between Bueckers and Clark, dating back to their college days, and those debates picked up steam on Wednesday after the Wings' No. 1 pick's heroics. Bueckers' fans earned the bragging rights because of her matching Clark's WNBA career-high in just seven games.
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Paige Bueckers matches one more Caitlin Clark record, flirts with breaching another
Paige Bueckers had herself a night, and most of it resulted in her matching or registering her name in the record books. After scoring as many points as Caitlin Clark in her career-high game, Bueckers matched another record by the Fever superstar, becoming the third player to score 35 points while making five 3-pointers. Cynthia Cooper was the other player to achieve the feat.
Bueckers also recorded 100 points, 25 rebounds, and 25 assists in her seven-game WNBA career, becoming the fourth quickest player to do so. Only Clark, Candace Parker and Cooper did it before the Wings' No. 1 pick.
The Wings will hope to provide Bueckers with adequate support now that she's back and firing on all cylinders. They fell to 1-10 after Wednesday's loss, and it's not what they would have expected despite predicting the growing pains of building around a rookie.
Nevertheless, if Bueckers continues thriving like this, the others will have the cushion to find a rhythm and hit their ceiling.
