Paige Bueckers ended her rookie season with an All-WNBA Second Team selection, which is one step away from being the highest individual award a player can receive in the WNBA.

This season, she has accumulated enough experience and statistics for people to start considering her as a possible First Team member.

EJayArrow, a WNBA analyst, has highlighted the early-season case for Bueckers on X, citing 18.7 points, 6.1 assists, and a 3.17 assist/turnover ratio, which ranks 6th best in the league.

These stats highlight a player who is not only putting points on the board but also controlling an offense efficiently.

Bueckers is 11th in scoring, 7th in assists, and 9th in efficiency rate of 20.2 despite being the key playmaker for the Wings. It is no coincidence that Dallas finds itself with a 10-6 record early in the season; she is instrumental to the way the team operates on the court.

What makes this streak stand out even more is the background she is pulling this off in.

The previous season saw Bueckers being named on the Second Team as a rookie, which was the season where the First Team consisted of unanimous selections such as Napheesa Collier, A’ja Wilson, along with Alyssa Thomas, Allisha Gray, and Kelsey Mitchell.

With rookie teammate Azzi Fudd, the offense of the Dallas Wings acquired another aspect.

Being picked by the Wings with the No. 1 overall pick in the 2026 WNBA Draft, the young player averaged 12.7 points, 1.5 steals, and 1.4 assists per game as a rookie.

This matchup of Bueckers and Fudd might be the thing that determines how successful Dallas will be this season, and in fact, Bueckers herself has admitted what is required for her to lead this team.

What Paige Bueckers Said About Her Expanded Role

The Wings have shown they can compete this season. Dallas put together a lengthy winning streak, including a dominant 96-66 victory over the defending champion Las Vegas Aces on June 15, before a one-point loss to the Portland Fire and an 11-point road defeat against the Golden State Valkyries exposed the growing pains of a roster still finding its identity.

Dallas bounced back on Saturday with a narrow 93-92 home win over the Chicago Sky, with Bueckers helping erase a 14-point deficit to close it out.

Speaking with two-time WNBA champion and analyst Lisa Leslie, Bueckers opened up about the shift in her responsibilities.

"Yeah, it's been a fun challenge," she said, speaking to CBS Sports analyst Lisa Leslie. "Last year I played a lot more off-ball on the two, so a lot of my actions were coming up and pin downs, coming up for wide screens, obviously coming off the ball screens too. But this year has been a challenge to navigate."

That challenge carries real weight. Bueckers set a high bar during her rookie campaign, averaging 19.2 points, 5.4 assists, and 3.9 rebounds while shooting 47.7% from the field.

With the Wings coming off a 10-34 finish last season, her ability to read the floor and grow into this expanded role will determine whether Dallas can finally make a deep postseason run.

Who do you think Paige Bueckers will make the 2026 All-WNBA First Team? Comment down below.

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Written by

Utsav Gupta

Edited by

Utsav Gupta