"So damn disingenuous": Chris Koclanes sparks outrage with ROTY declaration as Paige Bueckers vs Sonia Citron battle hots up

Dallas Wings coach Chris Koclanes on Wednesday declared the Rookie of the Year debate settled with a strong verdict. The Wings' Paige Bueckers and the Washington Mystics' Sonia Citron are locked in an intense battle for the prestigious honor, with both players highly deserving of the award.

That said, Koclanes has no doubt in his mind that Bueckers will win. The Wings coach also explained why he believes the former UConn standout deserves the Rookie of the Year award over Sonia Citron.

"She is Rookie of the Year. There’s no question," Koclanes said, as quoted by Dallas reported Myah Taylor. "She makes everyone around her better."

Myah Taylor

@t_myah

“She is Rookie of the Year. There’s no question,” Wings coach Chris Koclanes said of Paige Bueckers. “She makes everyone around her better.”

Social media went into overdrive soon after Koclanes delivered his verdict, which came just a few hours before the Wings' game against the LA Sparks. Netizens slammed the Wings coach not for calling Bueckers the undisputed Rookie of the Year, but for trying to save face amid what has been a disastrous campaign for Dallas.

"He's so damn disingenuous. He's trying to save fave and save his job. We know she's ROTY and has worked like a dog this season, but he never once vocalized any sort of support for her or the team this season. He's thrown them under the bus before. He's in job saving mode!" a fan said.

NicolASmith

@ComicDramaTV

He's so damn disingenuous. He's trying to save fave and save his job. We know she's ROTY and has worked like a dog this season, but he never once vocalized any sort of support for her or the team this season. He's thrown them under the bus before. He's in job saving mode!

Said another:

Trent Harvey

@TheTrentHarvey

This is provably not true… the on-court results don’t back this up. Ball don’t lie.

A fan commented:

seanna

@seanna171

i can never give him a 10 so i’ll give him a 5 for this lil one cause why he acting like this he tryna keep his job ?!.

Commented another:

rere 🇳🇬

@umpre_oni

He's doing everything to keep that job😂😂

A user wrote:

Italian Mafia9190

@Colby3635212283

“She makes everyone around her better”…Jesus Christ…..she only won 9 fu*king game as right now. They don’t play better. Neither does Paige Bueckers.

Another user wrote:

grizz

@cimags

She barely averages 5 assists/game on a 9 win team lol. You wont be the coach next year, Chris 🤡

Paige Bueckers has been outstanding for Dallas Wings

The Dallas Wings hold the third-worst record in the league (9-26), but it isn't because of Paige Bueckers. The star guard has consistently tried to will her team to victory every time she has suited up for the franchise, delivering spectacular performances more often than not.

She has scored in double figures in every game this season. In 28 total appearances, Bueckers has tallied 20 or more points in 14 of them. For the year, the one-time All-Star is averaging 18.8 points, 4.1 rebounds, 5.4 assists and 1.7 steals per game while shooting 45.8% from the field, including 31.0% from 3-point range.