Paige explodes for 44! And sets a record.

[browns]

I'm just scrolling thru the thread now so maybe others have replied...

Even if she scored 40+ every game the rest of the season and ended up 1st in scoring average, playing for one of the worst teams in the league would leave her out of the conversation of MVP IMHO.

It's not MOP, it's MVP. It's often been argued on here - as much as I think Pheesa should win, you can argue that her team is rolling without her so is she really MVP? Meanwhile, Vegas has gone from outside the playoffs to tied for 4th, just a half game out of 2nd, and the best team recently not named Minnesota.

Much as I hate to say it, Wilson would get my vote for MVP if the season ended today.

Getting back to Paige - she may not be MVP, but I think she is making a legit argument for 1st team WNBA.

With Caitlin out you have Collier.
. Wilson and A Thomas all locks.then you have Ionesco .. Ogwumike.
Kelsey Mitchell and maybe Kelsey Plumb all ahead ahead of Paige

 

[oldude]

With Caitlin out you have Collier.
. Wilson and A Thomas all locks.then you have Ionesco .. Ogwumike.
Kelsey Mitchell and maybe Kelsey Plumb all ahead ahead of Paige

EricLA’s point is that with her remarkable performance this season as a rookie, Paige has put herself in the conversation for all league recognition. Whether she actually achieves that recognition remains to be seen. But Paige’s performance as a rookie is undeniable.

It should also be noted that the WNBA selects a 5-player 1st team and a 5-player 2nd team. CC made the 1st team last year, the 1st rookie since Candace Parker to do so, back in 2008. 3 other rookies made the 1st team: Sue, DT and Tamika Catchings. Surprisingly, no rookie has ever been named to the WNBA 2nd team.

So here’s a question for you. Can you name 10 current players in the W who you would select ahead of Paige for either the WNBA 1st or 2nd team?

 

[Gurleyman]

Too bad most of us couldn't watch it on TV - I was getting ESPN updates on my phone as she was scoring more points. In reviewing the Gamecast, it seems that Paige didn't have a shot in the last 2:50 of the game (other than the technical free throw). For those watching, what happened? Why couldn't Dallas get her the ball (besides that last second pass mentioned here)? Geiselsoder, Berger and James each had a missed shot in that time frame. Tough loss, great game.

I saw nobody answered, in case you (and others) haven’t watched, The last few possessions:

Tie game, just over 2 minutes left. Paige splits a hard double and literally gets an open field tackle from Jackson - most blatant foul you will ever see - and loses a contact. No call. Wings picked the loose ball up and eventually there’s a different foul, but they weren't in the bonus. Then with a short shot clock, Paige gets another hard double and throws it to a wide, wide open MHA at the top of the key, who can shoot the 3 or drive. But she swings it to Luisa, who was covered, and Luisa misses a contested 3.

Still tied, 1:30 left. Paige is off the ball and comes open off a screen at the 3 point line with 7-8 seconds on the shot clock. Berger is looking right at her and doesn’t throw the pass for some reason only she can tell you. She keeps it and throws up a wild running bank shot.

1:00 left. Wings up 1 after a Paige technical FT. They win a jump ball. MHA gets it and Jackson is alert and denies the initial pass to Paige. They tried to set a screen for Paige, but MHA goes ahead and dribbles over halfcourr herself, which is fine. But she keeps going, attacking towards the corner, and just dribbles off her own leg and out of bounds.

Final possession up 1, you probably know by now. Paige had it and attacked early - maybe she should have waited til the end of the shot clock. With 12 seconds left on the shot clock - too early to shoot with the lead - she kicked it to James and relocated to the three-point line open. Should have got the ball right back - but James fired early in the clock and missed.

She’s gotten some heat for not taking the shot - but it would have been a bad time to shoot for clock management (they basically gave LA a full shot clock to work with instead of leaving them 7-10 seconds, adding to the defense they’d need to play). She had gotten some hard doubles on the last couple possessions with the ball and by attacking early, she was able to get LA out of thier defensive alignment. Had she gotten the ball back - they would have been less organized and maybe she could have avoided the double.

James also was there to help on Plum on the game winning drive - but stunted and went back out to cover her man, who had 0 points on the night and left Plum a wide open look.

Some teachable moments late, but would have been nice to teach them in a win.

 

[WiseWillie]

I saw nobody answered, in case you (and others) haven’t watched, The last few possessions:

Tie game, just over 2 minutes left. Paige splits a hard double and literally gets an open field tackle from Jackson - most blatant foul you will ever see - and loses a contact. No call. Wings picked the loose ball up and eventually there’s a different foul, but they weren't in the bonus. Then with a short shot clock, Paige gets another hard double and throws it to a wide, wide open MHA at the top of the key, who can shoot the 3 or drive. But she swings it to Luisa, who was covered, and Luisa misses a contested 3.

Still tied, 1:30 left. Paige is off the ball and comes open off a screen at the 3 point line with 7-8 seconds on the shot clock. Berger is looking right at her and doesn’t throw the pass for some reason only she can tell you. She keeps it and throws up a wild running bank shot.

1:00 left. Wings up 1 after a Paige technical FT. They win a jump ball. MHA gets it and Jackson is alert and denies the initial pass to Paige. They tried to set a screen for Paige, but MHA goes ahead and dribbles over halfcourr herself, which is fine. But she keeps going, attacking towards the corner, and just dribbles off her own leg and out of bounds.

Final possession up 1, you probably know by now. Paige had it and attacked early - maybe she should have waited til the end of the shot clock. With 12 seconds left on the shot clock - too early to shoot with the lead - she kicked it to James and relocated to the three-point line open. Should have got the ball right back - but James fired early in the clock and missed.

She’s gotten some heat for not taking the shot - but it would have been a bad time to shoot for clock management (they basically gave LA a full shot clock to work with instead of leaving them 7-10 seconds, adding to the defense they’d need to play). She had gotten some hard doubles on the last couple possessions with the ball and by attacking early, she was able to get LA out of thier defensive alignment. Had she gotten the ball back - they would have been less organized and maybe she could have avoided the double.

James also was there to help on Plum on the game winning drive - but stunted and went back out to cover her man, who had 0 points on the night and left Plum a wide open look.

Some teachable moments late, but would have been nice to teach them in a win.

Great summary, Gurleyman. You describe play action like an expert commentator. Nice going. (Rebecca and/or Ryan might be in touch.🙂)

In retrospect, guess we have to be left with some definite head scratching. But let's be frank here. The Wings at this point need much more than "teachable moments" which won't be of much benefit particularly at this point in the season with players who game after game make the same miscues. There are times when teaching ceases and revamping takes over. The Wings are beyond teaching and hopefully on a path to a complete revamp. TBD.

 

[Basingstoke]

I saw nobody answered, in case you (and others) haven’t watched, The last few possessions:

Tie game, just over 2 minutes left. Paige splits a hard double and literally gets an open field tackle from Jackson - most blatant foul you will ever see - and loses a contact. No call. Wings picked the loose ball up and eventually there’s a different foul, but they weren't in the bonus. Then with a short shot clock, Paige gets another hard double and throws it to a wide, wide open MHA at the top of the key, who can shoot the 3 or drive. But she swings it to Luisa, who was covered, and Luisa misses a contested 3.

Still tied, 1:30 left. Paige is off the ball and comes open off a screen at the 3 point line with 7-8 seconds on the shot clock. Berger is looking right at her and doesn’t throw the pass for some reason only she can tell you. She keeps it and throws up a wild running bank shot.

1:00 left. Wings up 1 after a Paige technical FT. They win a jump ball. MHA gets it and Jackson is alert and denies the initial pass to Paige. They tried to set a screen for Paige, but MHA goes ahead and dribbles over halfcourr herself, which is fine. But she keeps going, attacking towards the corner, and just dribbles off her own leg and out of bounds.

Final possession up 1, you probably know by now. Paige had it and attacked early - maybe she should have waited til the end of the shot clock. With 12 seconds left on the shot clock - too early to shoot with the lead - she kicked it to James and relocated to the three-point line open. Should have got the ball right back - but James fired early in the clock and missed.

She’s gotten some heat for not taking the shot - but it would have been a bad time to shoot for clock management (they basically gave LA a full shot clock to work with instead of leaving them 7-10 seconds, adding to the defense they’d need to play). She had gotten some hard doubles on the last couple possessions with the ball and by attacking early, she was able to get LA out of thier defensive alignment. Had she gotten the ball back - they would have been less organized and maybe she could have avoided the double.

James also was there to help on Plum on the game winning drive - but stunted and went back out to cover her man, who had 0 points on the night and left Plum a wide open look.

Some teachable moments late, but would have been nice to teach them in a win.

Thanks for adding one more example of just how atrocious the refs were.

 

[RockyMTblue2]

EricLA’s point is that with her remarkable performance this season as a rookie, Paige has put herself in the conversation for all league recognition. Whether she actually achieves that recognition remains to be seen. But Paige’s performance as a rookie is undeniable.

It should also be noted that the WNBA selects a 5-player 1st team and a 5-player 2nd team. CC made the 1st team last year, the 1st rookie since Candace Parker to do so, back in 2008. 3 other rookies made the 1st team: Sue, DT and Tamika Catchings. Surprisingly, no rookie has ever been named to the WNBA 2nd team.

So here’s a question for you. Can you name 10 current players in the W who you would select ahead of Paige for either the WNBA 1st or 2nd team?

The volume of answers is threatening to overwhelm the board ...NOT. One reason I don't follow a team in the W is the ramped up soap opera quality of it since CC made everybody angry. Sport is suppose to be fun, not a war of attrition. It's a league that eats its own. Unfortunately the WNBA as part of this nonsense, has spawned conspiracy theories about the motives of the league and some of them have been validated. That feeds the conspiracy growth industry on line and it's newest member has surfaced: The WNBA wants to replace CC with Paige and has put out the word not to "really" guard Paige and that is where the 44 point game came from. I kid you not. It's starting to make the rounds. Crazy and NO I'm not promoting . Reading is fundamental.

 

[oldude]

The volume of answers is threatening to overwhelm the board ...NOT. One reason I don't follow a team in the W is the ramped up soap opera quality of it since CC made everybody angry. Sport is suppose to be fun, not a war of attrition. It's a league that eats its own. Unfortunately the WNBA as part of this nonsense, has spawned conspiracy theories about the motives of the league and some of them have been validated. That feeds the conspiracy growth industry on line and it's newest member has surfaced: The WNBA wants to replace CC with Paige and has put out the word not to "really" guard Paige and that is where the 44 point game came from. A kid you not. It's starting to make the rounds.

Wow Rocky! Conspiracy theories about the WNBA? I was just talking about basketball…… 😵‍💫

 

[CTtoSanDiego]

I don't really expect Paige to make first team all WNBA (tho I'm hopeful!). Just found this argument for her inclusion.

 

[EricLA]

I don't really expect Paige to make first team all WNBA (tho I'm hopeful!). Just found this argument for her inclusion.

Still 8 or 9 games left. If Paige scores 30+ in every game, she will be on the 1st team (or should be!)!!!

And it's more than scoring PPG. Paige is right up there but look at her assists, steals, even rebounds for a guard, efficiency, +/-, etc. Add to that she's easily the best player on the team (most of the others in the top 8 or so are on teams with way more "good" players who get attention paid to them), and gets fouled all the time (tons of no calls), pushed, shoved, pulled, whacked, etc. I think she ends up 2nd team, but she's deserving of 1st team IMHO.

I tend to agree 2nd team is in the cards for her, but would not be surprised or sad to see her 1st team.

 

[WiseWillie]

The volume of answers is threatening to overwhelm the board ...NOT. One reason I don't follow a team in the W is the ramped up soap opera quality of it since CC made everybody angry. Sport is suppose to be fun, not a war of attrition. It's a league that eats its own. Unfortunately the WNBA as part of this nonsense, has spawned conspiracy theories about the motives of the league and some of them have been validated. That feeds the conspiracy growth industry on line and it's newest member has surfaced: The WNBA wants to replace CC with Paige and has put out the word not to "really" guard Paige and that is where the 44 point game came from. A kid you not. It's starting to make the rounds.

Well that certainly takes a different turn on this thread. "It's starting to make the rounds". Really? Not to cast doubt but it is a little hard to fathom that the W would "put out the word not to 'really' guard Paige." Where did you hear/see that? Besides, looking at replays it is pretty evident that not many on the Sparks got that message because many were bumping her and right in her face but left flat footed. But your point is that it was all a pre-ordained set up? More than a little hard to believe, sorry.

 

[cancontent]

Well that certainly takes a different turn on this thread. "It's starting to make the rounds". Really? Not to cast doubt but it is a little hard to fathom that the W would "put out the word not to 'really' guard Paige." Where did you hear/see that? Besides, looking at replays it is pretty evident that not many on the Sparks got that message because many were bumping her and right in her face but left flat footed. But your point is that it was all a pre-ordained set up? More than a little hard to believe, sorry.

I got a different interpretation from that post. Thought it was referring to posters on social media, not the WNBA itself. The "WNBA vs Clark" narrative has been a popular one for those who want to gain clout quickly. And they continue to put out some "interesting" opinions because people continue to react to it.

I was having a chat with a friend on the topic yesterday in response to this post by Northam. It's amusing and frustrating at the same time.

 

[oldude]

While I don’t think that 1st team All WNBA should be determined solely by the numbers, let’s take a look at those numbers to compare. Paige is 5th in scoring, 8th in assists and 4th in steals. If you look at the other guards who I would consider as possible 1st team All WNBA possibilities: Mitchell, Ionescu, Plum & Gray, all have more or less comparable numbers

But Paige had similar numbers to a lot of guards during this past NCAA season. Where she separated herself from every guard in college basketball was with her extraordinary efficiency. The same is true in the W. Paige leads all the other prominent guards in A/TO ratio as well as shooting percentage. Quite frankly, those numbers are astounding for a rookie in the W.

What’s more, Paige plays on a pretty mediocre team where her teammates miss a lot of open shots (potential assists) and Paige gets significant attention from opposing defenses who know if they stop Paige from taking over the game, they win. How much better would Paige’s numbers be if she was playing on a winning team with talented veterans?

I am going out on a limb. Paige is absolutely deserving of being named 1st team All WNBA!

 

[EricLA]

While I don’t think that 1st team All WNBA should be determined solely by the numbers, let’s take a look at those numbers to compare. Paige is 5th in scoring, 8th in assists and 4th in steals. If you look at the other guards who I would consider as possible 1st team All WNBA possibilities: Mitchell, Ionescu, Plum & Gray, all have more or less comparable numbers

But Paige had similar numbers to a lot of guards during this past NCAA season. Where she separated herself from every guard in college basketball was with her extraordinary efficiency. The same is true in the W. Paige leads all the other prominent guards in A/TO ratio as well as shooting percentage. Quite frankly, those numbers are astounding for a rookie in the W.

What’s more, Paige plays on a pretty mediocre team where her teammates miss a lot of open shots (potential assists) and Paige gets significant attention from opposing defenses who know if they stop Paige from taking over the game, they win. How much better would Paige’s numbers be if she was playing on a winning team with talented veterans?

I am going out on a limb. Paige is absolutely deserving of being named 1st team All WNBA!

Ok I'm officially on the bandwagon. Paige for 1st team all-WNBA!!!

 

[Jonathan14]

While I don’t think that 1st team All WNBA should be determined solely by the numbers, let’s take a look at those numbers to compare. Paige is 5th in scoring, 8th in assists and 4th in steals. If you look at the other guards who I would consider as possible 1st team All WNBA possibilities: Mitchell, Ionescu, Plum & Gray, all have more or less comparable numbers

But Paige had similar numbers to a lot of guards during this past NCAA season. Where she separated herself from every guard in college basketball was with her extraordinary efficiency. The same is true in the W. Paige leads all the other prominent guards in A/TO ratio as well as shooting percentage. Quite frankly, those numbers are astounding for a rookie in the W.

What’s more, Paige plays on a pretty mediocre team where her teammates miss a lot of open shots (potential assists) and Paige gets significant attention from opposing defenses who know if they stop Paige from taking over the game, they win. How much better would Paige’s numbers be if she was playing on a winning team with talented veterans?

I am going out on a limb. Paige is absolutely deserving of being named 1st team All WNBA!

Here are some more numbers* for the top guards @oldude mentioned. (I also added Sonia Citron's numbers for ROY consideration, even though I think most of us believe that race has been decided.)

Player Efficiency Rating
Paige 22.0
Sab 20.4
Mitchell 20.3
Allisha 19.8
Plum 19.3
[Citron 17.1]

Points per game
Mitchell 20.4
Plum 20.4
Paige 19.7
Sabrina 19.0
Allisha 18.8
[Citron 15.3]

Assists per game
Plum 5.9
Paige 5.3
Sab 5.3
Allisha 3.7
Mitchell 3.4
[Citron 2.4]

A:TO Ratio
Paige 2.524
Sab 1.963
Allisha 1.947
Plum 1.903
Mitchell 1.789
[Citron 1.263]

Rebounds
Allisha 5.5
Sab 4.8
[Citron 4.2]
Paige 4.1
Plum 3.3
Mitchell 1.9

Steals
Paige 1.7
Plum 1.3
Sab 1.3
Allisha 1.2
[Citron 1.1]
Mitchell 0.9

Blocks per game
Paige 0.5
[Citron 0.4]
Allisha 0.4
Sab 0.4
Mitchell 0.2
Plum 0.1

While I agree that All-WNBA shouldn't be determined solely by the numbers, the numbers make a case that Paige and Sabrina should be the 1st Team guards, with Allisha and Kelsey Plum on the 2nd Team. (While Kelsey Mitchell is an effective and efficient scorer, it was interesting to note that she ranks below the other guards in all other categories.)

Is this how things will play out? Probably not. But I think it's pretty impressive to see where Paige's statistics rank among these other All-Star guards.

* Numbers from 2025 WNBA Player Stats - Per Game | Basketball-Reference.com

 

[oldude]

Here are some more numbers* for the top guards @oldude mentioned. (I also added Sonia Citron's numbers for ROY consideration, even though I think most of us believe that race has been decided.)

Player Efficiency Rating
Paige 22.0
Sab 20.4
Mitchell 20.3
Allisha 19.8
Plum 19.3
[Citron 17.1]

Points per game
Mitchell 20.4
Plum 20.4
Paige 19.7
Sabrina 19.0
Allisha 18.8
[Citron 15.3]

Assists per game
Plum 5.9
Paige 5.3
Sab 5.3
Allisha 3.7
Mitchell 3.4
[Citron 2.4]

A:TO Ratio
Paige 2.524
Sab 1.963
Allisha 1.947
Plum 1.903
Mitchell 1.789
[Citron 1.263]

Rebounds
Allisha 5.5
Sab 4.8
[Citron 4.2]
Paige 4.1
Plum 3.3
Mitchell 1.9

Steals
Paige 1.7
Plum 1.3
Sab 1.3
Allisha 1.2
[Citron 1.1]
Mitchell 0.9

Blocks per game
Paige 0.5
[Citron 0.4]
Allisha 0.4
Sab 0.4
Mitchell 0.2
Plum 0.1

While I agree that All-WNBA shouldn't be determined solely by the numbers, the numbers make a case that Paige and Sabrina should be the 1st Team guards, with Allisha and Kelsey Plum on the 2nd Team. (While Kelsey Mitchell is an effective and efficient scorer, it was interesting to note that she ranks below the other guards in all other categories.)

Is this how things will play out? Probably not. But I think it's pretty impressive to see where Paige's statistics rank among these other All-Star guards.

* Numbers from 2025 WNBA Player Stats - Per Game | Basketball-Reference.com

Thanks for digging into the numbers. One more set of numbers: shooting percentage.

Paige - 47.4
Citron - 46.9
Mitchell - 45.1
Alisha - 44.9
Plum - 43.0
Sab - 39.9

 

[RockyMTblue2]

Well that certainly takes a different turn on this thread. "It's starting to make the rounds". Really? Not to cast doubt but it is a little hard to fathom that the W would "put out the word not to 'really' guard Paige." Where did you hear/see that? Besides, looking at replays it is pretty evident that not many on the Sparks got that message because many were bumping her and right in her face but left flat footed. But your point is that it was all a pre-ordained set up? More than a little hard to believe, sorry.

You misunderstand me if you think I'm promoting that nonsense and I didn't bring any of the three posters over here so as to not encourage the BS. Yes, 3. I bet there will be more tomorrow. Fringe WNBA content producers are pushing the narrative. I think it is all nonsense. I suspect you'll stumble into it. The WNBA seems to attract more than its fair share of this kind of stuff.

 

[Zanzman]

Got me. Why do you ask?

You brought it up

 

[Sluconn Husky]

Now Imagine What Paige Bueckers Could Do With Better Teammates | Defector

What can’t Paige Bueckers do? What problems can’t she solve? Where does her bag end? Does it? For 39 minutes and 59 seconds of Wednesday night’s Wings-Sparks game, answers were hard to come by. The learning curve has looked awfully flat for the first overall pick in her rookie season. Varied...

defector.com

 

[Sluconn Husky]

 

[iri10]

You misunderstand me if you think I'm promoting that nonsense and I didn't bring any of the three posters over here so as to not encourage the BS. Yes, 3. I bet there will be more tomorrow. Fringe WNBA content producers are pushing the narrative. I think it is all nonsense. I suspect you'll stumble into it. The WNBA seems to attract more than its fair share of this kind of stuff.

It may well, but I would just emphasize my opinion that the WNBA is not the cause of that, but rather a symptom of what's been going on in our society. People are increasingly choosing their "teams," not just in sports but in other aspects of life. And the WNBA naturally sits on multiple potential fault lines, none of which I can mention here without going outside the bounds of site policy.

The conspiratorial thinking you allude to is heavily driven by people trying to capitalize on that "my culture's team vs. your culture's team" tendency, for their own gain.

 

[MilfordHusky]

The Big O, the Big E, and the Big P!

 

[oldude]

The Big O, the Big E, and the Big P!

I prefer “Coach P”

 

[RockyMTblue2]

It may well, but I would just emphasize my opinion that the WNBA is not the cause of that, but rather a symptom of what's been going on in our society. People are increasingly choosing their "teams," not just in sports but in other aspects of life. And the WNBA naturally sits on multiple potential fault lines, none of which I can mention here without going outside the bounds of site policy.

The conspiratorial thinking you allude to is heavily driven by people trying to capitalize on that "my culture's team vs. your culture's team" tendency, for their own gain.

Oh I agree completely. But the chaos of the W last year and this has made a very fertile field in which to plant the nonsense.