While the Dallas Wings are in a rebuild year, Paige Bueckers has made her case as the, perhaps, unanimous Rookie of the Year.
Bueckers has established herself as one of the top players in the WNBA; she certainly will be on one of the All-WNBA teams.
Pick-And-Roll Pro
The 23-year-old star is averaging 18.1 points per game, good for seventh in the WNBA, and leads all rookies.
The former UConn Husky product is second in mid-range pull-up attempts per game (5.9) and knocks them down at 47.5 percent, good for the fourth most efficient in the league.
One variation of a pick-and-roll play has the initial ball-handler toss the ball to the screener and build momentum downhill before receiving the ball back for a screen and roll.
On this play, Bueckers tosses the basketball to Myisha Hines-Allen and chases the ball to flow into a pick-and-roll. Hines-Allen sets a vicious screen on Bueckers’ defender to free up space for Bueckers’ pull-up midrange jumper.
As Bueckers tosses the basketball to Hines-Allen again, she chases the ball for a potential dribble handoff to flow into a pick-and-roll; this time, her defender denies her the ball.
Bueckers displays her IQ here as she plays the player and not the play. She counters the defender by moving away from the ball (and the initial play), catches it on the move and cashes in another bucket in the midrange.
To end the first quarter against Indiana, she takes that midrange shot with 35 seconds to go — giving her team time for a two-for-one opportunity — plays a defensive possession, and then gets the last shot of the quarter with about ten seconds to go.
Midrange Madness
Dallas is the third-worst team in the WNBA in both three-pointers made per game (6.4) and three-point percentage (31.2), so opposing defenses don’t have to spread the floor against the Wings. They can focus on Paige Bueckers and her mid-range attacks.
Despite that, Bueckers averages the most pull-up jump shots per game (6.9) and is the sixth most efficient on pull-up jump shots (45.9 percent) in the league.
Bueckers starts off the ball and catches on the wing for an isolation play.
As she gets her defender to open her defensive stance, the gap defender off the strong side corner slides in to show help, as well as the rim protector.
Bueckers pulls up for a contested midrange and knocks down a tough shot while drawing contact on the way up.
Bueckers has the green light to take any contested midrange shot she wants. It’s clear she’s been given the keys to the franchise.
Running the show
In addition to scoring, Bueckers is averaging 5.4 assists, the seventh most per game in the league. She’s already drawing extra attention on opposing teams’ scouting reports.
Coming off the screen, Bueckers sees a hedge coverage — when the screener’s defender engages on the ball briefly before retreating back to her assignment.
With Bueckers drawing two defenders on the ball, she demonstrates her ability not to be sped up by keeping her dribble alive and making the correct read.
Aziaha James lifts — a movement from the corner to the wing — to give Bueckers a better passing angle. Bueckers hits her in the shooter’s pocket for a clean look.
Following a loss to Indiana on Sunday, Bueckers spoke about seeing extra defenders while she had the ball.
“Just making the right read out of the trap,” Bueckers said. “Out of them sending a double, then playing to that advantage.”
Here’s a play ran for Bueckers and former scoring champion Arike Ogunbowale. Ogunbowale is second on the team in scoring (16.8 points per game).
Ogunbowale makes an Iverson cut — going from one wing to the other wing via off-ball screens. Meanwhile, Bueckers briefly draws two defenders after an on-ball screen.
As Bueckers looks for an outlet, Ogunbowale makes another Iverson cut with the help of two more screens to get into Bueckers’ line of sight. Ogunbowale has a big on her as she catches the rock.
The big gives her a step of space, creating the mismatch. Ogunbowale takes advantage of a snatch-back move that results in a rainbow midrange jumper.
Dallas is going through growing pains. While they are seeing terrific offense from Bueckers, it has yet to result in many wins.
After the Wings’ loss on Wednesday to Chicago, Bueckers spoke about how the Wings approach adversity.
“Stick to our process,” Paige Bueckers said. “Stay confident. Trust our work.”
Hopefully for Dallas, the next page of the rebuild turns into more wins and buckets soon.
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