Paige Bueckers Reflected on Rookie Season After Tying WNBA Record

Paige Bueckers officially etched her name into the record books on Wednesday when she tied Cynthia Cooper's longtime record for the most points by a rookie in a single game.

Bueckers scored 44 points against the Sparks, not only tying Cooper’s record, but becoming the first WNBA player this season to put up at least 40 points in a game.

It was a highlight night for the No. 1 pick, who is likely to go on to win WNBA Rookie of the Year, but it’s been a long journey to reach this high point. Bueckers was a star basically as soon as she stepped on the court for the UConn Huskies, but the unbelievable achievements of her collegiate career also came with plenty of struggles, including missing the entirety of her 2022-23 season due to an ACL tear.

Her rookie season has seen the same ups and downs. Bueckers has played really well, but she has also missed multiple games due to injury, and faced the difficulties of playing for a rebuilding team.

“People have gotten to see the struggle, the injuries, the times where I couldn’t play, the ups and downs, so for me to have [this] story and for people to continue to follow me and still believe in me, it means a lot," Bueckers said after the game. "I'm extremely grateful for it and I'll never take it for granted."

Paige Bueckers on scoring a career-high 44 points, and her overall success as a rookie in the WNBA:

“People have gotten to see the struggle, the injuries, the times where I couldn’t play … For me to have [this] story and people to continue to believe in me, it means a lot.” pic.twitter.com/ZtRDg0mImI
— Ben Geffner (@BenGeffner) August 21, 2025

Even on a historic night for the rookie, the challenges were still present as the Wings fell to the Sparks on a last-second basket from Kelsey Plum. Bueckers has shined, but after playing for the most successful college basketball program, she is now playing for a team that is just 9-27 and already ruled out of playoff contention.

"I've always prided myself and the team on winning so that's obviously the main goal," Bueckers said. "Honestly, I'm just most proud of this team, the way we fight. This team just means so much to me. The way we invest and love each other, it could be easy for us to sit here and be nine and whatever we are and be miserable and hate coming to work, but just how we show up for each other, how we're learning and growing together, it's really exciting. As much as success and the wins haven't translated yet, what we're building here, it makes me so happy."