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Paige Bueckers Tied Caitlin Clark’s Career-High During Latest Wings Loss

Stephen Douglas

Paige Bueckers reacts during the first half against the Phoenix Mercury.
Paige Bueckers reacts during the first half against the Phoenix Mercury. / Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images
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Paige Bueckers had one of the highest scoring games by a rookie in WNBA history on Thursday night, as she scored a career-high 35 points in a loss to the Phoenix Mercury. Bueckers point total ties the WNBA career-high of Caitlin Clark, who scored 35 against the Dallas Wings last year.

Bueckers came out on fire after missing the last four games, making the first seven shots she took. She was 13-of-19 from the field, 5-of-7 from behind the arc and 4-of-5 from the free throw line. No one else on the Wings made a three-pointer. She also had six rebounds, four assists, one steal and one block.

Clark scored her career-high 35 points against the Wings on September 15, 2024, in the penultimate game of her rookie season. Clark also had eight assists, two rebounds and three steals in the 110-109 Fever win.

Hall of Famer Cynthia Cooper owns the WNBA rookie record for most points in a game with 44.

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Stephen Douglas
STEPHEN DOUGLAS

Stephen Douglas is a senior writer on the Breaking and Trending News team at Sports Illustrated. He has worked in media since 2008 and now casts a wide net with coverage across all sports. Douglas spent more than a decade with The Big Lead and previously wrote for Uproxx and The Sporting News. He has three children, two degrees and one now unverified Twitter account.

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