Wings' Bueckers taking flight through first 10 WNBA games

Paige Bueckers has been a silver lining in the Dallas Wings' disappointing 3-11 start.

The No. 1 pick in the 2025 WNBA Draft hasn't looked out of place early on, averaging 18 points, 5.8 assists, 4.2 boards, 2.1 steals, and 0.9 blocks.

Bueckers already made league history as one of two rookies to produce a 20-5-5 stat line on 80% shooting. And in just her seventh game, she joined Caitlin Clark as the only first-year players to record at least 35 points and five threes in a contest.

Here are four takeaways from Bueckers' first 10 appearances as a pro.

Mid-range maestro

Bueckers has maintained her college efficiency in the WNBA. The Wings guard has looked extremely comfortable pulling up from the elbow. She's developed chemistry with Myisha Hines-Allen and NaLyssa Smith, often drilling mid-range pull-up jumpers off ball screens or handoffs from either forward.

Just over 40% of Bueckers' made field goals have come from the mid-range. Only Courtney Williams has knocked down more shots from that zone. The former Wooden Award winner makes opposing teams pay for giving her the slightest space off a screen or handoff. Bueckers can also manufacture her own mid-range offense, demonstrating good body control when pulling up off the bounce and hitting contested jumpers.

The threat of Bueckers' pull-up game will provide more chances to get to the basket. In those opportunities, she uses hesitation moves to set up defenders for the pull-up jumper only to blow by them instead.

Dynamic playmaker

Bueckers' unselfish nature has led to an abundance of dimes. She's already established herself as an elite playmaker, ranking sixth in assists and 10th in assist percentage (29.5%). The Minnesota native has shown exceptionally strong decision-making, too, posting a 2.32 assist-to-turnover ratio.

Bueckers has been the catalyst in Dallas' improved transition attack. The UConn product is always looking to push the ball upcourt after a missed shot. She floats passes over the top of defenders and hits her teammates in stride to the basket. Bueckers consistently makes smart reads when running the Wings' half-court offense as well. She finds open 3-point shooters when defenses collapse on her, uses ball-fakes to open up passing lanes, and makes timely dump-offs and passes out of the pick-and-roll.

Bueckers has been particularly effective at setting up backcourt partner Arike Ogunbowale for outside looks, assisting on 12 of the latter's baskets. Bueckers has also found a comfort level with Hines-Allen and Maddy Siegrist in pick-and-pop actions.

There are times when Bueckers tries to force a pass into a tight window or gives the ball to a teammate late in the shot clock. But she's mostly shown poise beyond her years at the sport's most difficult position.

Defensive bright spot

Dallas' defense as a whole hasn't progressed much from a year ago when it finished last in defensive efficiency, but Bueckers has been one of the few bright spots. The Wings are allowing 6.9 fewer points per 100 possessions when Bueckers is on the court.

Dallas surrendered 87.8 points per contest when the rookie was sidelined. Opposing guards Ariel Atkins, Odyssey Sims, and Kayla McBride each registered 19 points or more against the Wings during Bueckers' recent four-game absence.

Bueckers frequently causes turnovers with her length and instincts. She anticipates passes for backdoor cutters, makes timely digs, blows up dribble handoffs, and picks off entry feeds into the post. Her 21 steals are tied for first among guards. When Bueckers isn't forcing turnovers, she's contesting shots and containing drives to make things as difficult as possible for her counterparts.

Bueckers' shot-blocking has been a pleasant surprise. She quickly closes out on shooters to swat 3-point attempts and moves swiftly for weak-side denials at the rim.

Bueckers' aggressiveness on closeouts can sometimes leave her vulnerable to drives, and she has a tendency to get lost navigating screens. Cleaning that up would go a long way in helping a struggling defensive unit.

"She is a smart defender ... a really good system and positional defender," Wings head coach Chris Koclanes told theScore. "So you see some of those steals coming off the ball. Just really putting herself in good spots and anticipating.

"And then she's got great length. Sometimes when she's matched up against these smaller guards, she can get deflections. She can block some shots."

Growing leader

UConn head coach Geno Auriemma once described Bueckers as a "reluctant leader." It was a role she grew into during the latter stages of her collegiate career.

Bueckers is similarly finding her voice in the team huddle, on the court, and in the locker room as she adjusts to a new set of teammates. Bueckers admits the process hasn't been easy - especially with the losses piling up - but the former Huskies standout is taking a measured approach with the big picture in mind.

"It's challenging but very rewarding in a sense of you just being super process oriented and not result oriented," Bueckers told theScore. "How we want to have a set of standards, build a culture, and have a way we do things and stick to that regardless of wins or losses ... and then the results will follow and will come as we continue to stay disciplined in who we are every single day.

"So just trying to lead by example, lead with my voice, and just have difficult conversations. Get to know these people on and off the court and continue to build that chemistry. ... Just like anything in life, it's a journey and a process that you just love to embrace."