Just this year, Paige Bueckers was cutting off a piece of the net in Tampa’s Amalie Arena after leading her UConn Huskies to a national championship. After all those losses with the Wings, that glory feels like a lifetime ago. But Bueckers was ready for this. She knew what she was getting into. “There is a lot of new in this organization, so to be a part of something where we can build with each other,” she said before the season. 

While the team has not fared as well as they would have wanted to, Bueckers herself has continued to shine in her own right. She is averaging 18.8 points, 5.4 assists, and 1.7 steals, ranking in and around the top 5 league-wide in each of those metrics. There is a reason Curt Miller was shouting with joy after getting the No.1 pick, and Bueckers is proving him right. However, Miller has pointed out an aspect off the court that makes her unique in her own right. 

The Wings were having their last practice before their much-awaited Los Angeles Sparks matchup, and they decided to have a go with a football. It’s a different experience, but useful when it comes to basketball, as it builds strength to make difficult passes. Bueckers, being the expert in passing, was nailing them even with a heavier football. Miller posted Bueckers dropping pinpoint spirals, calling them the best he’s seen in years of recruit-style football drills.

He wrote, “During college official visits.. used to have our recruits throw footballs 🏈.. in 13 yrs never had a great player who couldn’t throw a great ball.  Paige throwing pinpoint bombs today.” Point guards and pinpoint passes, it’s an age-old story. However, not everyone can make it with the football, and she showed us once again why she was an elite-level talent on par with Caitlin Clark. 

“Hold on, where does Caitlin Clark come in?” You would ask. But Clark displayed her passing skills with a football earlier in the season. The Fever point guard was seen making accurate across-court one-handed passes and was even reposted by the NFL’s official account. “@CaitlinClark22 was throwing footballs after practice 🔥” the league posted. 

While you have the freedom to use both hands in basketball, the one-handed passes are so much quicker, and these football throws are a heavy test for that. Clark and Bueckers are elite passers who can rip the cross-court lasers, as showcased by their ability to handle an unfamiliar football. 

It’s not a coincidence that these two are among the best point guards in the WNBA. Clark averages 8.5 assists per game, while Bueckers is still catching up at 5.4 assists per game. She’s still got time to chase Clark’s numbers, but she’ll have to do it without a key young running mate for the stretch run.

Dallas Loses Prized Center, Likely To Make A Roster Move

Li Yueru was unhappy in the Seattle Storm. She wasn’t getting enough time on the court and immediately requested a trade a month into the season. “When I only play with three-four minutes in a game, that’s a bit sad for me.” She had said. Her destination turned out to be Dallas Wings, where she steadily carved out her role with Bueckers as the point guard. In 22 games in Dallas, she has averaged a career best 7.4 points and 5.4 rebounds, being one of the premier reasons the Wings have dominated the paint. 

Yueru went down with a knee injury on August 15 vs the Sparks, sat out the Aces game, and, at that point, the full extent of the situation was still under wraps. However, according to the latest reports from Windsr’s Melissa Triebwasser, Yueru has been ruled out for the rest of the season after being diagnosed with an ACL sprain in her left knee. 

Considering so many players are suffering from complete ACL tears, an ACL sprain is a relatively lighter injury, as she will make a full recovery after 6 weeks, according to other reports. According to Triebwasser, “It’s likely that the Wings will sign a hardship player when they return from the West Coast.” But who that might be is unknown. Yueru was a pretty great addition to this Wings side, and the Wings will most likely try and retain her next season as she had only a one-year contract.