Dallas Wings star Paige Bueckers capped a historic rookie season on Friday by being named to the All-WNBA Second Team. This latest honor joins her Rookie of the Year award, an All-Star selection, and a spot on the All-Rookie Team. Bueckers delivered a spectacular individual performance throughout the season, averaging 19.2 points, 5.4 assists, and 3.9 rebounds per game.
Despite her individual achievements, the Wings struggled, finishing with a 10-34 record, tied for worst in the league. This lack of team success is likely what prevented her from securing a First Team selection, as voters typically weigh winning heavily. Notably, Bueckers was the only player among the ten All-WNBA honorees whose team did not make the playoffs.
The All-WNBA First Team features unanimous selections Napheesa Collier and A’ja Wilson, alongside Alyssa Thomas, Allisha Gray, and Kelsey Mitchell. The debate for the final First Team guard spot largely centered on Bueckers and the Indiana Fever’s Mitchell. While Bueckers posted stronger all-around stats, Mitchell averaged 20.2 points per game and crucially led the injury-plagued Fever to the playoffs, falling just one game short of the WNBA Finals.
Joining Bueckers on the Second Team are Nneka Ogwumike, Jackie Young, Sabrina Ionescu, and Aliyah Boston. Voting details revealed that both Bueckers and Boston received more First Team votes than some of their Second Team colleagues but appeared on fewer ballots overall, which impacted their final point totals.
The selection highlights a key offseason priority for Dallas: building a competitive roster around its franchise star. As the Indiana Fever demonstrated with their deep playoff run despite key injuries, a strong supporting cast is essential to transforming individual excellence into team success.
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