Bueckers scores 44 as Sparks edge Wings, Dallas eliminated

Paige Bueckers delivered a performance that will be remembered long after this season ends, but it wasn’t enough to lift the Dallas Wings to a win. In a dramatic 81-80 loss to the Los Angeles Sparks, the Dallas rookie poured in a career-high 44 points, the most by any player this season and the highest-scoring night by a rookie in WNBA history, before Kelsey Plum answered with a buzzer-beater to deny the Wings and eliminate Dallas from playoff contention. Bueckers tied Cynthia Cooper’s rookie scoring record with the performance and extended a run of double-digit scoring games that has become a cornerstone of her season.

The night belonged to Bueckers in the early going, as she shot 17-for-21 from the field, including four three-pointers and six free throws, while guiding Dallas with precision and confidence that belied her rookie status. She accounted for more than half of the Wings’ offense and became the focal point of a late Dallas rally. “My teammates were getting me open, screening for me, running off-ball actions, trying to get me open looks,” Bueckers said after the game, underscoring how much the Wings relied on her to carry the attack. Yet even with her offense at its...