Paige's Wings Page (merged thread)

[RockyMTblue2]

On the other hand, I did not expect Paige to be as good as she is, at least not this quickly.

Yes I thought it would be an absolute trainwreck and I was amazed how Paige ewas able to rise above it. Now she's exhausted and every team is fully mobilized not to have her lay a 44 on them. But getting back to the Wings if Arike stays it will only be because being 2d banana is better than being 3rd banana somewhere else. I want her gone if value is gotten; she needs the ball too much. If you know the history you know the Wings have been disfunctional for years. The owner wants a team for cocktail time; enthusiasm for winning not so much.

 

[browns]

You must not know the equation for assists — it takes a passer and a finisher and also chemistry between the two. And then there’s A/TO statistics to give context.

Indiana’s 2024 season had effectively 3 starting lineups with Caitlyn being the obvious point guard. The team had 7 players who played at least 34 (of 40 games) with four (Caitlyn, Aliyah, Kelsey and NaLyssa) who played in all 40 games. Caitlyn’s Win Shares/Wins % is 15% (3.0/20.0) which is what you expect on more balanced teams.

Dallas’ 2025 season, to date, has 14 starting lineups in 38 games. JJ Quinerly is the point guard in 11 of Paige’s 31 games. The most games played by starters are Paige (31), Arike (29), Luisa (23), Myisha (15), NaLyssa (15), Dijonai (13), JJ (13), Haley (12), Li (12). Paige’s Win Shares/Wins % is 41.1 % (3.7/9). Paige is the only&1 season-long (31/38 games) best performer on that dreadful team.

Caitlyn’s A/TO (2024) is 1.51 (337/223). Paige’s A/TO (2025 thru 8/25) is 2.57 (162/63) which is remarkable in the context of a dreadful team. And one has to remember that even Arike has exhorted Paige to score more and look to assist less, given team realities.

I must say that you have validated the stereotype for Caitlyn Clark stans, having thrice interjected on a “Paige’s Wing Paige” only to spout your stanship. 2026 figures out to be a league wide reset of rosters (including Dallas), meaning more apples-to-apples comparisons. Maybe you should keep your powder dry until then on your Caitlyn vs. Paige obsession.

&1 Arike’s WS/Wins % is 10% (0.9/9).

A player can also score high while also assisting high
All I read all season long is what a horribe team Dallas is..granted they are not a very good team however they have 12 or 13 professional WBB players on the team.They are not playground players,,when there is one superstar player on a team she should be able to elevate the performance of the rest of her teammates

 

[NycUcWbbFan]

Not according to Nancy Lieberman she's not and she knows a lot better than you or I would about passing the ball

This Nancy Lieberman?

“She wasn't going to miss this moment. Lieberman and Clark bonded four years ago through Iowa coach Lisa Bluder. They talk regularly by Zoom. That's the platform used by Lieberman also to address the Hawkeyes before each season.”

Granted, you can counter with Sheryl Swoopes. Point is, this thread is about Paige. While you are entitled to your opinion, persistent lone-wolf stanship on this thread is unseemly. We read your opinion the first time and we don’t agree with it and your repetition is tedious.

 

[ctbro1999]

This Nancy Lieberman?

“She wasn't going to miss this moment. Lieberman and Clark bonded four years ago through Iowa coach Lisa Bluder. They talk regularly by Zoom. That's the platform used by Lieberman also to address the Hawkeyes before each season.”

Granted, you can counter with Sheryl Swoopes. Point is, this thread is about Paige. While you are entitled to your opinion, persistent lone-wolf stanship on this thread is unseemly. We read your opinion the first time and we don’t agree with it and your repetition is tedious.

Seriously the Paige hater needs to of this thread.

 

[oldude]

Not according to Nancy Lieberman she's not and she knows a lot better than you or I would about passing the ball

When you find yourself in a hole, just stop digging. After Paige won the “Nancy Lieberman Award” as the best point guard in the nation, Lieberman had nothing but praise for Paige and her game.

Let’s also consider what the GOAT had to say about Paige. DT unequivocally stated that “Paige will be the best player in the W and one of the greatest of all time.”

One final word of advice. It’s better to stay silent and have someone think you a fool than to open your mouth and remove all doubt.

 

[BobbyJ]

Not according to Nancy Lieberman she's not and she knows a lot better than you or I would about passing the ball

Get on the phone with every coach and GM in the league and ask them what they think of Bueckers' game and passing and then get back to us. They might not agree that much with Clark's Aunt Nancy.

 

[Basingstoke]

I thought about creating a new thread, but, instead am just adding this thought to the current one.
In the back and forth about whether Paige or Citron (or Iriafen for that matter) should be ROY, it struck that me that even if stats were equal, there is no comparison when you consider the responsibility of the position played, the quality of support for them in terms of other high-level options on offense and defense, and lastly: who besides Paige constantly gets double and triple-teamed on a regular basis (no one else gets that treatment).
IMO there really is no comparison, and Paige should be the runaway choice for the award.

 

[WiseWillie]

I have been meaning to write this for a while. So bear with me Boneyard.

There's the UConn Standard and there's the Paige Standard.

When Paige steps on the floor she plays at a high level and expects the same from her teammates. There's no slouching or negative mental lapses if you miss a pass or a basket. It's just something that didn't work that time but you immediately forget it and move on ready for the next play.

Paige's mindset is to be the best at whatever she's doing whenever she steps on the floor and whatever her team and teammates need at any particular point whether its passing to an open teammate, setting a screen or pick, running around a defender, rebounding - or scoring. Like all the great players, she expects excellence from herself in everything she does on the court and uses that to motivate excellence in her teammates. She is confident in her abilities yet strives to improve in every facet of the game.

Quite simply, Paige as a rookie is the ultimate professional serving as an example for so many young players of what hard work and dedication can accomplish in celebrating the ups with gratefulness and pushing through with determination the downs of a sport.

And now back to the regular discussion. 😊

 

[CamrnCrz1974]

• How many guards in the WNBA have a higher win shares per 40 rate than Paige Bueckers? Four. Only Allisha Gray, Jackie Young, Kayla McBride and Kelsey Mitchell are higher – and three of them are ahead of her by 0.01.
• How many guards average more points per game than Bueckers? Two. Kelsey Mitchell and Kelsey Plum.
• How many guards that take 10 or more shots per game have a higher shooting percentage than Bueckers? Zero.

LINK (Her Hoop Stats)

 

[RockyMTblue2]

Get on the phone with every coach and GM in the league and ask them what they think of Bueckers' game and passing and then get back to us. They might not agree that much with Clark's Aunt Nancy.

For literally forever now Nancy has simply spewed what she is told to spew.

 

[Bigboote]

There's the UConn Standard and there's the Paige Standard.

I’ll add the corollary, there’s the UConn standard and there’s the Wings’ standard. The Huskies do get more practice, but even absent that, their standard is higher.

 

[rt bb fan]

I was watching the Sun vs wings Aliyah Edwards was a non factor. WHAT has happened to her game? Has she lost confidence in her skills?

 

[RSHERMVIKES]

I watched the Sun at Dallas game and Paige was a late scratch as she was sick!
Just maybe she played the last 2 games feeling crappy, but played anyway! And her performance was sub-par!
Give a our girl a break!
She's in the top 10 players in the league as a 1st year!

 

[Bald Husky]

My birthday was yesterday (also Stewies), played a round of golf with my son, birthday party at his house later, came home, settled in bed to watch the Wings game on re-play, and no, no, Paige wasn't playing. A disappointing end to a great day. Oh well everything can't always go right. BTW, I didn't watch the game, nor really enthused about watching the debacle that the Wings are without Paige. I needed the sleep anyway.

 

[oldude]

On Paige’s “illness” that kept her out of yesterday’s game. There are a couple of videos online. One is of Paige during a pregame shoot around where she looks fine hitting shots from all around the court. There is second video of Paige at the shoot around being asked to comment about the terrible shooting in Minneapolis yesterday where she sounds fine and, not unsurprisingly, gives a thoughtful answer to a difficult question.

My take is that whatever illness Paige has is minor. She likely could have played yesterday if something was on the line for the Wings. The decision to give Paige the day off probably had more to do with load management for a player that clearly is dealing with some fatigue as she works through a demanding pro season which immediately followed a demanding college season.

 

[fireford]

Hmm...sounds more like "draft pick management" than "load management" to me but I'm happy Paige got a day off.

 

[Huskee11]

On Paige’s “illness” that kept her out of yesterday’s game. There are a couple of videos online. One is of Paige during a pregame shoot around where she looks fine hitting shots from all around the court. There is second video of Paige at the shoot around being asked to comment about the terrible shooting in Minneapolis yesterday where she sounds fine and, not unsurprisingly, gives a thoughtful answer to a difficult question.

My take is that whatever illness Paige has is minor. She likely could have played yesterday if something was on the line for the Wings. The decision to give Paige the day off probably had more to do with load management for a player that clearly is dealing with some fatigue as she works through a demanding pro season which immediately followed a demanding college season.

You are probably right but it was handled in typical Dallas Wings clown car fashion.

 

[oldude]

Hmm...sounds more like "draft pick management" than "load management" to me but I'm happy Paige got a day off.

The Wings are virtually assured of the highest odds for the #1 pick in the draft lottery, which is calculated based on a team’s record over the prior 2 seasons.

The only team with a remote chance of having a worse record than the Wings is the Chicago Sky. The Wings currently have 18 wins over 2 seasons. The Sky have 22. So the Wings only need to lose 2 of their last 5 games, assuming that the Sky don’t win any of their last 7 games, and the Wings will end up with the best odds for the #1pick.

Can’t imagine the Wings suddenly going on a winning streak over their last 5 games, especially when they will face a number of teams who are very much in the playoff hunt.

 

[cometjo]

• How many guards in the WNBA have a higher win shares per 40 rate than Paige Bueckers? Four. Only Allisha Gray, Jackie Young, Kayla McBride and Kelsey Mitchell are higher – and three of them are ahead of her by 0.01.

Hard to get win shares when there are so few wins

 

[baggerbob]

It’s basically a chicken or egg question. Is it the lack of players or a bad organization or both? This year is a write off for the Wings. Next year will be the proof of the pudding as to whether Curt Miller and the organization really know what they are doing. The Wings are extremely well positioned from a draft and free agent standpoint to substantially upgrade their team, and they have Paige.

Just like Paige, Azzi will thrive wherever she ends up in the W. Since Paige is stuck in Dallas for the next 3 seasons, I want to see the Wings build a competitive team around her.

With all the players that are free agents, all it takes is Miller convincing 2 or 3 Stars to come and play with Paige and their first round pick, and Dallas would be a good team.

 

[baggerbob]

With all the players that are free agents, all it takes is Miller convincing 2 or 3 Stars to come and play with Paige and their first round pick, and Dallas would be a good team.

And Dallas has 3 or 4 youngsters on rookie contracts, so they have more money then most everyone else.
So for players looking to get together to win a championship and make good money Dallas will be a good spot to go.

 

[Dugway]

I agree with you baggerbob! One would think that this season's results will be completely different into the near future. But we will have to wait and see.

 

[RockyMTblue2]

OK, kicking around who the Wings can choose in the next draft. Betts, sure a safe pick, but if you look back to the UConn game, if she is more than 2 feet from the basket she can't score. The W demands a Big that can move around the paint, able to shoot 3's, and be a top-notch passer. After the next campaign, I wonder if Serah Williams could show that she is a top candidate. We know she is good, but under CD's tutelage, maybe she can develop to be a great Big that the pros cannot dismiss. Never know, she is already an all-Big10 player, so who knows how good she can get after a year with UConn. Serah will have plenty of exposure, so it is up to her how far she can go, and she may prove to be that good.

I'm perhaps the only one on the board miserable enough to say it out loud but I don't want to bet big money on a player who has gone public with serious mental trauma in addition to what @Bald Husky reports.

 

[RockyMTblue2]

And Dallas has 3 or 4 youngsters on rookie contracts, so they have more money then most everyone else.
So for players looking to get together to win a championship and make good money Dallas will be a good spot to go.

Dallas is tainted with the "bad organization" curse, but you'll never know if you don't ask. My opinion Dallas is the disaster we thought it was for Paige.

 

[WiseWillie]

I was watching the Sun vs wings Aliyah Edwards was a non factor. WHAT has happened to her game? Has she lost confidence in her skills?

Aaliyah was the difference many times in games when she played at UConn. She played with high energy and was a responsible teammate. While she is a very good defensive player, her offensive skills are considered inconsistent by those in the business of knowing these things particularly her outside shooting.

She's had a couple of injuries in 2025 - low-back contusion in training camp - which sidelined her for a couple of weeks at the start of the season which is never a great thing. She also missed some games with a wrist injury. Then the Mystics rookie Kiki Iriafen was given playing time as the power forward slot that Aaliyah had and has solidified her position setting the franchise record for most rebounds in a single season which probably accounts for Aaliyah's playing time being significantly shortened and eventually traded to the Sun.

I hope she can find the right place with the Sun or wherever she may end up because despite the critiques of her offensive skill set she is an excellent defensive player with high energy. Recall her performance in the Unrivaled 1 on 1 where her talent was impressive. She is young and with the right team she will blossom as she has much to offer any team.

 

[Basingstoke]

I was at the Liberty's game tonight and came away very impressed with the Mystic's 2 star rookies. Iriafen has a wonderful offensive skill set, and Citron is a wonderful shooter and the clear runner-up for rookie of the year in this loaded rookie class (though she never has to deal with being double and triple-teamed and constantly physically pummeled like Paige has had to endure).

 

[oldude]

Paige with a very nice double-double in the game tonight against the Dream with 16 pts and 10 assists. She had to deal with a smothering face guarding defense by Rhyne Howard throughout the game. Howard was really tough, and she challenged Paige throughout the game. To Paige’s credit, she handled the pressure reasonably well.

Other than Paige and Siegrist, the Wings were pretty much overmatched by the Dream who are heading to the playoffs. The combination of Jones & Griner at center for the Dream was a mismatch all night long for the Wings.

 

[browns]

Paige with a very nice double-double in the game tonight against the Dream with 16 pts and 10 assists. She had to deal with a smothering face guarding defense by Rhyne Howard throughout the game. Howard was really tough, and she challenged Paige throughout the game. To Paige’s credit, she handled the pressure reasonably well.

Other than Paige and Siegrist, the Wings were pretty much overmatched by the Dream who are heading to the playoffs. The combination of Jones & Griner at center for the Dream was a mismatch all night long for the Wings.

Congratulations on her double-double..is that her second

 

[MilfordHusky]

Christyn played 14 minutes. And was -31. Yikes!

 

[cancontent]

Paige with a very nice double-double in the game tonight against the Dream with 16 pts and 10 assists. She had to deal with a smothering face guarding defense by Rhyne Howard throughout the game. Howard was really tough, and she challenged Paige throughout the game. To Paige’s credit, she handled the pressure reasonably well.

Other than Paige and Siegrist, the Wings were pretty much overmatched by the Dream who are heading to the playoffs. The combination of Jones & Griner at center for the Dream was a mismatch all night long for the Wings.

I thought Okonkwo has held her own since joining the team. She had 11 points and 6 rebounds herself. For an undrafted rookie, with only 4 games experience, averaging 11 points a game isn't shabby.