Paige Bueckers did it again. She surprised WNBA fans by surpassing Caitlin Clark in the number of points scored in the first 20 games of the league. She is currently the top rookie thanks to her recent performance against the Golden State Valkyries.
Bueckers is averaging 18.2 points and 5.5 assists so far. Her performance was so impressive that even Valkyries head coach Natalie Nakase praised her skills, which helped her break a historic WNBA record.
A historic record that went uncelebrated
The shooting guard reached a total of 350 points and 100 assists in her first 20 games, surpassing Indiana Fever’s star Caitlin Clark. However, there was no big celebration, as the Wings lost 86-76 that day.
Paige Bueckers in 15 career games:
18.2 PPG
4.2 RPG
5.5 APG
2.6 STL + BLK
47/35/88%Joins Caitlin Clark as the only players to average 15+ PPG & 5+ APG through first 15 games. pic.twitter.com/adMbsHP3TS
— Polymarket Hoops (@PolymarketHoops) July 8, 2025
According to a report by Essentiallysports, reporters approached Bueckers after the game to ask what factors went wrong. She responded:
“Yeah, I think free throws, layups, and then the rebounding battle… They got more offensive rebounds than us. And many of those came at crucial points in the game. So, all things we can control and all things we can fix and improve. That’s really the takeaway.”
It seems the rookie understands the situation well, as the Wings missed five straight field goal attempts, giving the Valkyries the chance to score nine unanswered points in the quarter.
However, head coach Chris Koclanes pointed to other weaknesses in the team beyond rebounding. The lineup changes disadvantaged smaller guards, something the Valkyries exploited. Now, the Wings must work together to overcome these challenges in future games.
“As a team, we stick together through all the ups and downs of a season… Our progress is coming, and we feel we can compete in every game. We just have to clean up the little things,” said the Wings’ star.
