By Anwar Stetson
The Sporting Tribune
LOS ANGELES— In his 2017 book, Coach Wooden and Me, basketball legend Kareem Abdul-Jabbar details his lifelong relationship with the legendary John Wooden. Decades after all the titles they won and accolades they achieved together at UCLA, Abdul-Jabbar and the aging coach would sit in Wooden’s living room and watch women’s basketball. The hall-of-famer wrote that Wooden appreciated the fundamental skill of the women’s game–even preferring it to the NBA. The one-of-a-kind coach and human being passed away in 2010 at the age of 99, and Wooden’s faith and belief in prayer sat at the top of his famous chart– the “Pyramid of Success.”
Somehow, Wednesday night’s WNBA matchup between the Los Angeles Sparks and the Dallas Wings felt like a spiritual revival at Crypto.com Arena. Embodying the best qualities Wooden expected in his players, Dallas star Paige Bueckers and Sparks leader Kelsey Plum each put on a historic performance, on an even more historic night. It’s only fitting that both Bueckers and Plum each won the most prestigious individual award in college basketball, bearing Wooden’s name.
There’s something about the bright lights on the biggest stages that bring out the best in players. With Wednesday’s performance, Bueckers became the first player in WNBA history to score 40 or more points on 80% shooting from the field. With 44 points, four rebounds, three assists, and one steal, the rookie all-star tied the WNBA rookie record for points in a game. The performance was the highest scoring performance of the season, and tied for the third-highest scoring performance in Dallas Wings history. She did it in just 36 minutes of action.
But the night was spoiled by the ferocious Kelsey Plum. In the 81-80 victory, the former two-time WNBA champion became the Sparks’ all-time leader in three pointers made. She finished with 20 points, including the last-second, game-winning floater as time expired. The win keeps the surging Sparks playoff hopes alive with just nine games left in the regular season. The contest can only be described as the game of the year. I imagine coach Wooden sees a game like this every night in basketball heaven.
Hours before tip-off, Bueckers practiced with teammates at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles, preparing for the matchup. The Wings have only won nine games this season, sitting in second-to-last place in the league. It’s a rebuilding year as the 2025 number one overall pick makes waves as one of the best young players in the league. In her first year, Bueckers became an all-star just months after winning a national championship with the UConn Huskies. Her journey so far has been incredible, but far from linear.
In 2021, the 6’0” guard led UConn to the Final Four. She also became the first freshman to win the Wooden Award, the most prestigious individual award in college basketball. But after multiple injuries, including an ACL tear, her future looked to be in doubt. Persevering, Bueckers returned to the court as a junior, bringing UConn back to the Final Four before losing to Caitlin Clark and Iowa.
Years of resilience paid off when Bueckers returned for her redshirt senior season, winning the national championship. On Wednesday, she was presented her 2021 Wooden Award in person and given a chance to reminisce about being recognized as the best player in college basketball, and about her journey to the pro game.
“Individual accomplishments are a true acknowledgement of team accomplishments,” she said.
Glancing over the list of names etched in the Wooden Award trophy, a familiar name appears: Kelsey Plum. Plum won the award in 2017, back when she was a standout at the University of Washington. She was the Pac-12 player of the year, the 2017 NCAA scoring leader, and finished her collegiate career as one of the best athletes in women’s college basketball history. The 5’8” guard became the number one pick in the 2017 WNBA draft, selected by the San Antonio Silver Stars. When the franchise moved to Las Vegas, she won two championships with the Aces. After being traded to the Sparks in January, the four-time All-Star instantly secured her place as one of the most prolific scorers in the league.
On August 15, the Wings hosted Los Angeles in a tightly contested matchup. Bueckers and Plum exchanged words in a fiery and competitive game that went down to the wire. Bueckers’ potential game-winner rimmed out as time expired: the Sparks won 97-96.
Fast forward to Wednesday’s rematch less than a week later, and Bueckers talked about what she loves most about Plum’s game: “Her footwork, and her pace, and her ability to slow down, and the crafty ways that she finishes,” she told reporters before tip-off, “She uses the basket, uses her speed, but also slows down, so I would say that’s very unique.”
Plum’s crafty footwork was on display in the final moments of Wednesday night’s game. With less than 20 seconds left in regulation, Sparks center Dearica Hamby snagged a rebound and handed the ball off to Plum. As the clock winded down… 15 seconds, 14…..13… Plum dribbled in stillness. She isolated onto defender Grace Berger, staring her down as the clock continued to wind… 10….9……8….7. With five seconds left a screen left Plum matched with center Luisa Geiselsölder. Booom! The slow, prodding, pace gave way to an incredible burst of speed. Plum craftily dodged the center and drove to the paint. With time expiring, Plum got off the game-winning floater with the world’s softest, smoothest touch. The clock rang at zero, and Plum was mobbed in celebration by her teammates.
With ever-present swagger, Plum enjoyed the moment but gave deference to her opponents. “it was a back and forth game,” she said. “Credit to Dallas they were phenomenal, Paige, she was phenomenal…as a player, you have a belief in yourself, I was going to wait to shoot it at the buzzer, I didn’t want to give them a chance. Game over.” However, she seemed much more concerned about the team’s level of play on the defensive end, adding “we need to play some [expletive] defense.”
Bueckers also emphasized team play over her own individual success.
“I’ve always prided myself and the team on winning, so that’s obviously the main goal,” she said postgame. “Honestly, I think I’m most proud of this team, like the way we fight, this team just means so much to me.”
Both stars display a level of competitiveness, spirit, passion, and leadership that would make coach Wooden proud. Looking down at Los Angeles, I’m sure he enjoyed the game just as much as we all did.