Paige Bueckers just can’t escape Caitlin Clark comparisons. Her fans are making things even more difficult for her, as there is a stat floating around that Bueckers leads the league in assists, which was technically true at one time but does not represent the accurate picture.
Clark has a better assists per game ratio with 9.3 as opposed to Bueckers’ 6.7. Clark has played just four games as opposed to Bueckers’ six. However, Bueckers is still fifth in the league as a rookie, which is still a very impressive start to her professional career. She will accompany Clark on the bench because of a concussion, but even with her, the Dallas Wings were struggling with their tactics, according to this national analyst.
Rachel A. DeMita said in the latest episode of Courtside Club, “I still don’t understand why the Dallas Wings are not running more of the offense through Paige. It really is live or die by Arike, and sometimes that works, and sometimes it doesn’t.”
This is reminiscent of the 2024 season, as Arike Ogunbowale shot on average 4 more shots than the second-most-shooting player, Natasha Howard. Since then the roster has lost Natasha Howard and even the third-best scorer of last season, Satou Sabally. As a replacement, they have brought in DiJonai Carrington, Paige Bueckers and Nalyssa Smith. So far the story has been the same: Arike has shot almost 16 shots per game, which is 4 more than the second best, Paige Bueckers.
Since efficiency is not Arike’s strong suit, she is comfortably the least efficient shooter on the team while Maddy Siegrist and Paige Bueckers are significantly better. Earlier, Ogunbowale was asked to self-create so often but now with Paige Bueckers, she doesn’t have to. Ogunbowale needs to work along with those two to maximize the potential of all three. De Mita further emphasized Arike’s gameplay in their loss against the Chicago Sky.
She said, “There were some questionable shots that Arike took at the end of the game that I felt like lost them the game. She had a couple of the same shots where she drove in but there were multiple defenders on her and she can get hot. She did get hot in that last game but there it’s definitely a one-dimensional offense and until the Dallas Wings learn how to change that, around to get Paige some more open looks.”
This is her talking about their earlier 97-92 loss to the Sky, in which Arike dominated the scoring with 37 points and 7 assists. Arike took 25 shots on the day, which is more than Paige and Di Jonai combined. And those two were the next best scorers on the day with 15 points each. With their defense already proving to be a weak spot, the team’s best chance of securing a win lies in fully maximizing their offensive firepower.
In the only game they did win this season, Arike took 14 shots, while Bueckers took 10 and DiJonai took 9. Arike is a volume shooter considering her historic numbers, she was the second-highest scorer last season but she shot 34.6% from the field. So she will need some more shots every game but there is a thin line between what is required and what is one-dimensional. Even if Arike has the confidence to make those difficult shots, she needs to understand that she has better shooters on the court who can score too.
Bueckers enters the WNBA as one of the most efficient and versatile scorers in recent memory. She shot above the NCAA Division I average from all five major scoring zones. Most notably, she converted an impressive 74.4 percent of her attempts at the rim, which is 17.5 percent higher than the Division I average, thanks to her quickness, strength, and finishing ability. Her efficiency extends beyond the arc and into the mid-range, where she shot 14.1 percent above average.
So to maximize her versatility, she needs to have more chances at scoring. With this elite scoring profile, the challenge now falls to offensive coordinator Chris Koclanes to build a system in which both Bueckers and Arike Ogunbowale can not only coexist but also elevate each other’s games through complementary roles and smart offensive design.
Chris Koclanes on Paige Bueckers’ injury and a major flaw in Wings
The Wings have had their first Buecker-less game, in which they lost 94-83 to the Chicago Sky. They now have a 1-6 overall record in the 2025 campaign and they still have a game to go without Bueckers, who is out with a concussion, which is not very common in the WNBA. Dallas head coach Chris Koclanes talked briefly about what led to Bueckers being put in concussion protocol.
May 19, 2025; Arlington, Texas, USA; Dallas Wings guard Paige Bueckers (5) and guard DiJonai Carrington (21) run back up the court during the second half against the Seattle Storm at College Park Center. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images
“She didn’t really say anything…yesterday after the game, she said she had a headache…that was the first of it. Once that was said (they placed her in concussion protocol)…” he said.
Chris Koclanes on Paige Bueckers concussion
“She didn’t really say anything…yesterday after the game, she said she had a headache…that was the first of it. Once that was said (they placed her in concussion protocol)…”
— Moreau Sports Media Prod Co. (@MoreauSportsCo) May 31, 2025
A concussion is classified as a mild traumatic brain injury, typically caused by a blow to the head or a sudden jolt that affects brain function. While it remains unclear at what specific point during the game Paige Bueckers may have sustained the injury, the Dallas Wings released a statement confirming that she was placed under the WNBA’s concussion protocol following a postgame evaluation. Koclanes also explained a thing that he wants the squad to heavily improve on.
“We want to shoot threes. It’s just finding that balance,” Koclanes told reporters. “I thought we were really aggressive to the rim. We got to the free throw line 30 times. It’s just finding that balance.
Wings are currently ninth in the league for three points attempted and they shot just 15 against the Sky as opposed to 28 from their opponents. Arike is the best three-point shooter on the team, along with Maddy Siegrist and Paige Bueckers. They will need to step up and add some threat from beyond the arc to provide some variety to their attack.
They struggled in the attack against the Sky in the last game but that could be partly attributed to Bueckers’ and Harris’ injuries. Their squad depth is also in question but one problem at a time for Koclanes. Dallas will look to avoid losing a third consecutive game on Tuesday night in a road matchup with the Seattle Storm.
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