Paige Bueckers didn’t exactly use the WNBA All-Star weekend as a break. Nah, the sophomore guard for the Dallas Wings treated that “off-time” like another chance to put in work, and it caught Kevin Durant’s eye big time. Less than a day after she dropped 21 points helping the Wings beat the Portland Fire on July 23, Bueckers was already on an early morning flight, heading straight to Chicago for a shooting workout with KD. Talk about relentless!
The Grind Is Real
Footage of this absolutely wild session first popped up through Wings Bulletin, after celebrity photographer Miles Diggs shared clips on Instagram. And dude, when Durant saw Bueckers’ schedule, he reposted the whole thing to his own Instagram story. His reaction? Pure shock. “You a machine bro, you was just playing last night,” Durant said in a video shared by Wings Bulletin during their Chicago workout. He even captioned his Instagram story with, “Is this allowed?” Seriously, you gotta wonder if anyone else in the league is out there grinding like that at 5:00 AM on what’s supposed to be their *break*. Bueckers herself said before the All-Star festivities, “The vibes are getting lit. For three days straight, electrolytes. Fun times, parties and a little bit of hoops.” She definitely delivered on the “little bit of hoops” part, huh?
Sophomore Sensation Dominating
This level of dedication isn’t coming out of nowhere, either. Bueckers came into the All-Star break as one of the WNBA’s biggest attractions, and her season numbers back it up. She is straight up leading the Wings, putting up 20.9 points and 6.2 assists per game. Plus, she’s pulling down 4.2 rebounds every single night. Her efficiency is off the charts, too, shooting 49.2 percent from the field with a sick 61.0 true shooting percentage. This isn’t just about scoring; Bueckers is making the whole team better, accounting for a massive 29.1 percent of the Wings’ assists. That kind of play is exactly why Dallas boasts an 18-9 record and sits fourth in the WNBA standings. She even captained Team Coop in the All-Star Game, where she dropped 12 points, dished out seven assists, and snagged a steal in their 129-122 loss to Team Spoon.
So, when you see a player like Paige Bueckers not just performing at an elite level but also putting in that kind of unseen work, you know she’s built different. With the Wings already sitting fourth in the league, you gotta believe her relentless drive is going to keep pushing them. Keep your eyes peeled for the second half of the season, because if this is how she treats her *off-time*, imagine what she’s bringing every single game!
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by The Sporting News.
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