By Fredo Cervantes
The Sporting Tribune
LOS ANGELES — The final shot belonged to Kelsey Plum. The night belonged to Paige Bueckers.
With the game hanging in the balance at Crypto.com Arena on Wednesday night, Plum floated in a silky, off-balance jumper at the buzzer, sealing an 81–80 win for the L.A. Sparks over the Dallas Wings. It was dramatic, it was clutch—and it broke the hearts of a Dallas team that had fought all night.
But even in that moment of euphoria for the home crowd, there was no question who had authored the game’s defining performance.
Paige Bueckers, the 23-year-old rookie sensation, dropped a jaw-dropping 44 points, etching her name into WNBA history in just her first season. It wasn’t just a career night—it was a message. The spotlight isn’t too big. The pressure doesn’t rattle her. And the league’s future might already be here.
“I know what this building means. I know who’s played here, what it stands for,” Bueckers said before tipoff, acknowledging the stakes of playing under the bright lights of L.A.
She didn’t just embrace it. She lit it up.
From the first quarter on, Bueckers was electric—smooth jumpers, fearless drives, and an uncanny ability to create separation against seasoned defenders. She scored from deep, in transition, in traffic and made a living in the mid-rage. Her footwork was precise, her decision-making mature beyond her years.
Bueckers scored 44 points, grabbed four rebounds, and dished out three assists. It was the first time in league history that someone had scored over 40 points while shooting over 80% from the field. Bueckers was 17-21 from the floor, as the Sparks’ defense had no answer for her, and she went a perfect 4-4 from three-point range.
By halftime, she had 16. And with the game in the balance, every set ran through her. Double teams didn’t faze her. Contact didn’t shake her. It was a performance that had fans, coaches, and even opposing players shaking their heads in admiration.
Yes, the Wings lost. But no one in Crypto.com Arena left talking about the final score first. Even Sparks forward Cameron Brink acknowledged the historic night Bueckers had.
“She’s a phenomenal player, point blank period,” Brink said. “She’s amazing and yeah, kudos to her.”
Plum deserves her flowers. Her buzzer-beating floater was ice-cold, and her 20-point performance helped keep the Sparks in it all night. The veteran closer did what stars are paid to do: finish.
But Bueckers? She didn’t just play like a star—she played like a generational talent. She played like the runaway favorite for Rookie of the Year, which she is. And with each game, she’s inching closer to something even bigger.
In a league rich with stars, Bueckers is building something rare: gravity. The kind that pulls attention, fans, and eventually banners.
The Wings will move on from this narrow loss. But on a Wednesday night in Los Angeles, Bueckers turned Crypto.com Arena into her personal stage in front of 13,598 fans in attendance.
Sparks’ Rickea Jackson was feeling confident on the court and dominated offensively, realizing it wasn’t just a regular game at Crypto.com Arena — it was more than that.
“It was fun. When the fans come out like that and support both teams, it’s just really fun,” Jackson said. “We had a fun game tonight, and that’s what basketball is all about, putting on for their fans, putting on a show for them. So, I just felt like both teams truly did that, and everyone enjoyed themselves and got their money’s worth tonight.”
And no buzzer-beater could take that away.