Here's why Paige Bueckers is the WNBA's most clutch player originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
Something strange happened to Paige Bueckers in Wednesday night's home showdown against the Toronto Tempo.
Sure, Bueckers' Dallas Wings had an eight-point lead at the half against a team that had lost nine successive games. But the All-Star guard had been held without a point in the first 20 minutes and had missed all seven of her shot attempts.
Then the second half started. And as the Wings began to wobble, Bueckers stepped up to remind viewers why she is the WNBA's most clutch player.
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All 22 of Bueckers' points Wednesday night came after halftime, and the Wings held off the Tempo, 94-88, to snap a three-game losing skid.
Bueckers caught fire once she saw her first bucket go in, and that was the platform she needed to ensure that Wednesday would be a historic night.
Bueckers set the WNBA record for the most points scored by a point guard in her first two seasons. She scored nine of her 22 points in the fourth quarter, and she remains the WNBA's best scorer in the final 10 minutes of a game: her fourth-quarter scoring average this season is 6.1 points.
Paige dagger ! pic.twitter.com/hHJF9s6tXD
— Shabazz 💫 (@ShowCaseShabazz) August 13, 2026
The young Wings, now 20-14, have encountered some turbulence since the All-Star break. Dallas has slipped to seventh in the standings, though it remains just 1.5 games behind the Indiana Fever for the No.4 seed.
With the playoff field already practically set, the goal for the Wings will be to finish strong and secure the best seed possible. More of Bueckers' fourth-quarter mastery will be needed to achieve this goal.
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