Paige Bueckers hasn’t had the best start to her WNBA career, at least when it comes to the Dallas Wings’ overall performance.
Individually, though, Bueckers has been on fire. The former UConn star is putting up 18.4 points on 46.1% shooting, 4.3 rebounds, 5.8 assists, and 1.8 steals, along with 1.1 three-pointers per game.
Despite her impressive numbers, it hasn’t been enough to propel the Wings to a winning record. After 18 games, Dallas holds the second-worst record in the league at 5-13.
At this point, it’s clear that Bueckers and her star teammate, Arike Ogunbowale, aren’t fully in sync. Ogunbowale, who’s in her seventh season with the Wings, has acknowledged that the chemistry between the two is still a work in progress.
“Yeah, I think we’re still growing,” Ogunbowale told reporters after Friday’s 94-86 loss to the Indiana Fever. “We’re figuring out each other’s tendencies.
“But obviously there’s three other people on the court. Not just us. So being able to play with all five of us — the starters, the bench. Just being able to build that chemistry, that you can see that a lot of the teams that have been together for a lot of years.
“So obviously we’ve only been together for a couple of months, but it’s going to keep growing. And I’m excited about that.”
Ogunbowale admitted that her partnership with Bueckers remains a work in progress, which is also the case for the chemistry of the entire squad.
Bueckers agrees with the four-time All-Star’s honest assessment.
“Yeah, just getting to know where she likes the ball, which side of the floor, which way she likes to come off screens, getting her in more actions, getting her more looks, more touches, is something that I’m still trying to get better at,” Bueckers said. “As a point guard on the floor, it’s my job to do that.
“So, like she said, we’re still learning. We’re growing. We’re getting better together as a duo, but also as a team.”
What stands out the most, however, is that both Bueckers and Ogunbowale are on the same page in terms of their ultimate goal.
“I think the most important thing is that we both just want to win,” Bueckers stated. “So, whatever that looks like on any given night, it might be different.”
The Wings are not expected to contend this season as Bueckers tries to find her feet in the pros. There’s no denying, though, that the future is extremely bright for Dallas.
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