How often do you witness a true David vs Goliath moment in the W? Well, the 6,000 fans packed into College Park Center, including the fastest man on the planet, Usain Bolt, sure did today. Paige Bueckers and co pulled off the unthinkable. They managed to beat the defending champions, the New York Liberty, 92-82. And yes, even though Breanna Stewart was ruled out, no one really expected this upset. So, how did they do it? Well, when you have a backcourt that is currently breaking records left and right, it becomes easier.
Arike Ogunbowale and Paige Bueckers looked like a modern-day Bob Cousy and Sam Jones out there. Both had 20 points, and then Arike’s career-high 14 assists really iced the cake. As Arike herself said, “We’re building chemistry. And the assist numbers show that.” Between scoring and playmaking, the duo had a hand in 72 of the Wings’ 92 points. That’s how unstoppable they were.
Coach Koclanes had high praise for Arike, saying, “She’s just been making simple decisions….not surprised at all…Her eyes are up and she’s not just looking at the hoop. She sees her teammates and trusts her teammates.” And honestly, this is exactly what Arike deserves after catching so much heat for going 0-10 against the Fever in her first game back from that thumb injury that sidelined her for a while.
And while Paige went on record saying tonight’s story should be all about Arike and her resilience to turn things around post the All-Star break, the spotlight just won’t leave Paige as she has created another milestone yet again! Paige has gone on to become the fastest player in the W to reach ten career 20-point games since 2006, according to Polymarket Hoops.
Paige Bueckers is the fastest guard to reach ten career 20-point games since 2006. pic.twitter.com/up8c5xhgm3
— Polymarket Hoops (@PolymarketHoops) July 29, 2025
It took Paige 21 games to reach this record. To put it in context, Caitlin Clark needed 26 games to record her 10th 20-point outing. But none of them could even come close to what the 4x WNBA champion Seimone Augustus needed to reach that milestone in 2006. The current LSU assistant coach needed just 14 games to record ten 20-point games. That is how dominant her rookie season was! But there was more to Bueckers’ side of the story.
Bueckers recorded the tenth 20-point game of her rookie campaign, ending the game with 20 points, six rebounds, four assists, and three steals. But what really made the difference was her efficiency. She shot 58.3% from the field and hit 50% of her threes, giving Dallas a steady offensive boost all game long. With this outing, she now owns the WNBA rookie guard record for the most games with 20+ points and at least two steals. The record breaker continues on her merry way!
Naturally, coach Chris Koclanes was full of praise for his team after they clinched their eighth win of the season. Here’s what he had to say!
Coach Koclanes is happy with the performance of Paige Bueckers and Co
The Wings had a lead of 30 points at one stage. Can you imagine? 30 points! They dominated from the get-go, taking a 31-19 lead to end the quarter. By halftime, it was 63-36, a clear display of total domination as they put up franchise-best numbers in field goals (26) and assists (20) for a single half. The Liberty mounted a late push in the fourth, but it was far too late. The game had already been decided.
It’s no surprise that Coach Koclanes was all smiles after the dominant performance. When asked about the first quarter display in the post-game conference, this is what he had to say, ” Yeah, just an energy, uh, a defensive tenacity to just get up and get into people. And so, when we got stops and we could run, we could play in transition. Yeah, proud of our start that way. I thought we did a good job finding some disruption early, being aggressive at the point of attack, and again, our flow behind was good as well.”
No matter the final score, the Wings have plenty of positives to take away from this one. While Paige Bueckers and Arike Ogunbowale were undoubtedly the stars of the night, the bench played a crucial role! They contributed 28 points and 23 rebounds. Without that kind of support, the outcome might’ve looked very different. What did you think of the Dallas Wings’ performance? Let us know in the comments below!
The post Paige Bueckers Leaves Caitlin Clark Behind in Latest WNBA Milestone After 20-Point Liberty Outing appeared first on EssentiallySports.
