Dallas Wings guard Paige Bueckers went 9-for-10 in her debut playoff game and went 6-for-27 in the next two games.

Bueckers finished the series scoreless in the fourth quarter as her fellow guard, Arike Ogunbowale, dominated in the scoring department by scoring 30 points.

That difference was evident in the response following Dallas’s 77-73 loss to the Golden State Valkyries in Game 3 on Friday. The Wings led 72-67 with three minutes remaining, but Bueckers did not score during the fourth quarter at all.

Bueckers went only 3-for-14 from the field to score 17 points, with 10 perfect free throws, as Dallas could not sink its last five shots.  Kaila Charles of the Golden State Valkyries, who was waived by Dallas, had a big role in shutting Bueckers down.

On Dallas's final five possessions, Arike Ogunbowale and Paige Bueckers combined to go 0-for-5, with contested perimeter jumpers and driving layups swallowed up by Kaila Charles and Gabby Williams.

During the press conference after Game 3, Wings coach Jose Fernandez came to her defense.

"We only get to this point because of Paige. She's a first team All-WNBA player," Fernandez said.

Bueckers averaged 20.9 points and 5.9 assists at a 51.9 shooting percentage this year, and the Wings increased their number of victories from 10 last year to 27 this year.

Ogunbowale went on to say that Bueckers was deserving of an All-WNBA First Team selection.

The difference between regular season play and postseason play was so great that even the fans had to express their frustrations via social media. These concerns focused on efficiency, late-game performance, and her status as a star.

Fans React to Paige Bueckers' Struggles as Dallas Season Ends

"Chose her over CC for a reason," one fan wrote.

Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark averaged 20.0 points and 9.7 assists in the opening-round loss to the Las Vegas Aces. Meanwhile, Bueckers tallied 27 points while shooting 6 of 27 in the last two matches to further highlight the comparison.

"She played like trash, sad to see," read another reaction.

In Game 2, Bueckers went 3-for-13, then followed that up with a 3-for-14 performance in Game 3. This was after shooting over 51 percent during the regular season.

Another user commented, "She's the reason the Wings lost."

Dallas blew a lead of five points, and Bueckers scored no fourth-quarter points. However, Ogunbowale had an efficiency of 11 out of 21, and the team failed with their last five attempts. 

"Not a playoff riser," was another reaction.

This was the first time that Bueckers played in the playoffs, and she scored 10 and 17 points after the 21 points in her Game 1. The Golden State owns the league's best defense.

A final fan said, "Pathetic performance and effort."

Bueckers added six assists, two steals and two blocks in Game 3 and made all 10 free throws. Valkyrie defenders Kaila Charles, Tiffany Hayes and Gabby Williams also made every touch harder.

Bueckers is expected to suit up in her third WNBA season and her second season of playing Unrivaled. Having raised the Wings' record from 10 wins to 27.

Bueckers will have a full offseason to prepare for Year 2 of her WNBA career and a chance to prove the regular season was not a fluke.

Read More at Her Sports Nation! 

Written by

Utsav Gupta

Edited by

Utsav Gupta