Paige Bueckers has been playing out of her mind lately, and someone else noticed. Oklahoma City Thunder star Shai Gilgeous-Alexander caught the Dallas Wings rookie after Sunday’s 89-76 win over the Toronto Tempo and gave her a pretty straightforward endorsement.
“Way to hoop. Love your game. Keep going, for sure,” Gilgeous-Alexander told Bueckers, according to video posted by the Wings’ official X account.
Bueckers responded like you’d expect: “Big fan, appreciate you.”
The moment came after Bueckers put up 22 points on 9-of-16 shooting, including one three, plus seven assists and three rebounds. She led Dallas in scoring. Again.
This isn’t just a random meet-and-greet. Bueckers has been open about studying Gilgeous-Alexander’s game. During the Western Conference Finals between the Thunder and the San Antonio Spurs back in May, she told reporter Myah Taylor that she takes “a lot” from how SGA plays.
“I mean, I take a lot from Shai’s games, just being able to get your spot consistently,” Bueckers said. She also mentioned watching Stephon Castle and called Victor Wembanyama “an alien, he’s unreal.”
Bueckers isn’t just watching SGA. She said she’s also studied Jalen Brunson’s footwork. She watches a ton of basketball, basically.
Bueckers is carrying the Wings right now
Through Sunday’s win, Bueckers is averaging 20.2 points, six assists, and 3.9 rebounds per game. She’s shooting 51.9 percent from the field and 39.3 percent from three. Those numbers put her in the conversation for Rookie of the Year, if that’s even a question anymore.
Dallas now sits at 13-8, good for fourth in the Western Conference. That’s a strong start for a team that had some question marks coming into the season.
Up next for the Wings: a matchup with the New York Liberty. That one should be a test. But with Bueckers playing like this, and with an MVP-caliber guard like Gilgeous-Alexandra giving her a public nod, Dallas looks like a team that could make some noise down the stretch.
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