The Los Angeles Sparks beat the Dallas Wings 81-80 last night on a buzzer-beating runner from Kelsey Plum. Normally that would be the lead story coming out of the game, but Wings rookie Paige Bueckers stole the show with a 44-point explosion, the highest-scoring performance from a player this year.
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Bueckers wasn’t just prolific, she was efficient, shooting 17-21 from the field while going perfect from both the 3-point line and the free throw line.
The loss moved the Sparks to within a half-game of the final playoff spot, and it eliminated the Wings. It was still a night to celebrate for Dallas, as Bueckers’ performance proved that the Wings are in good hands going forward.
Bueckers has been consistently outstanding this year. She’s scored in double figures every game and has had a stranglehold on the Rookie of the Year award since making her debut. She might have had some extra pep in her step last night though because of who was sitting courtside.
The former UConn Husky was asked during All-Star Weekend which celebrities she’d like to have courtside at one of her games, and she named the stars of her two favorite TV shows: Ellen Pompeo of Grey’s Anatomy and Shemar Moore of Criminal Minds. Last night there was no sign of Dr. Meredith Grey, but Special Agent Derek Morgan was there to take in the action.
Normally it’s Moore who does the entertaining, but this time he was able to watch the show, and he couldn’t have picked a better night to pull up. Afterwards Bueckers and he met and shared a hug, and she even got to hold his daughter.
Shemar Moore Paige Bueckers pic.twitter.com/FMHPkHMMhA
— Dallas Wings (@DallasWings) August 21, 2025
Moore starred on Criminal Minds for 11 seasons, while Bueckers is only in her first in the WNBA. She’s already one of the game’s biggest stars though, and it seems like every night she sets a new record. This game moved her to within four games of A’ja Wilson’s rookie record 33 straight double-digit scoring games, and it tied Cynthia Cooper’s record for points by a rookie.
This is the second straight time that the Sparks have beaten the Wings by one despite Bueckers being the game’s leading scorer. She’ll have one more chance to get over the hump against them in the second-to-last game of the season on September 7 in L.A. That game could have huge postseason implications for Kelsey Plum and company, and if they want to limit the chances of Bueckers ruining their season, they better make sure that Ellen Pompeo is nowhere near Crypto.com Arena.
