Let’s be honest, who wasn’t looking forward to seeing Paige Bueckers in action? After a legendary college career, and a fairy tale ending to boot, the former Husky was touted to be one of the best up-and-coming hoopers. And she did not disappoint! In just 23 minutes, Bueckers dropped 10 points and 4 rebounds, shooting 4-from-7 from the field. Suddenly, we were reminded of a high school phenom from Minnesota who made her defenders look absolutely silly! However, she couldn’t secure the W.
Although their pre-season game against the Las Vegas Aces was a complete blow out, there were plenty of positives for the Dallas Wings. Particularly, their two other rookies, JJ Quinerly and Aziaha James, performed really well, drawing praise from analysts! While everyone’s eyes were glued to Bueckers, they did their job and they did it well!
On Locked On Women’s Basketball, show host Lincoln had nothing but praises for Dallas Wings’ newest additions. “My two favorite players for them in this game were Aziaha James and JJ Quinerly, the two other rookies that played over ten minutes in this game.” He said, drawing the spotlight away from Bueckers. This is high praise for the two rookies, especially considering neither of them started.
Quinerly and James combined for a stunning 26 points, with JJ outscoring everyone else on her team in limited minutes. Lincoln agreed. “Quinerly was just a dynamo on the court, moving like a Tasmanian devil, she was everywhere, just doing things,” the show host said.
To draw the attention away from one of the biggest names in the game takes something special! It seems like Quinerly and James are looking to fight for their place in the league, and that’s honestly the attitude that we want to see! However, how is Paige Bueckers adjusting to playing at the highest level? There will always be growing pains when you make the jump to the pros, and that hasn’t eluded the No.1 draftee.
Paige Bueckers thrives in pro-level leap!
It’s never easy to transition between college and the pros. Even if the player is one of a kind, the professional leagues have a completely different feel for them. People play much harder, and the game moves in a different flow.
That is exactly what Paige Bueckers pointed out after her first pre-season game. “The pace, the flow of the game, the talent level, that’s what stood out,” she said. “You’re playing against especially the Aces, five Olympic-level players and a great team and organization.” In terms of a professional debut, and the team that she had to go up against, the UConn alum did really well in her first game representing Dallas!
However, one area where she really struggled was the physicality of the pros. Everyone is better conditioned, stronger, and rougher than in college. But don’t count her out. The newest addition to the Dallas Wings is looking to affect winning at the highest level possible.
The post No Sign of Paige Bueckers as 2 WNBA Rookies Ignite National Analyst’s Optimism for Dallas Wings appeared first on EssentiallySports.
