Dallas Wings Are 0–3 But At Least Paige Bueckers & Arike Ogunbowale Are Doing Cool Sh*t

The Dallas Wings played another game, and suffered yet another loss. But at least Paige Bueckers and Arike Ogunbowale are out on the floor doing cool sh*t.

The Wings lost their third straight game on Wednesday night, falling 85–81 to the Minnesota Lynx in what felt like the world’s most stained homecoming party.

Paige came home, in front of a WNBA floor she’s played on previous, and in front of a crowd in Minnesota that watched her grow up as a young basketball prodigy.

Bueckers this game etched her first double double, only taking her three games to do it. This made her the third rookie in WNBA history to record a points-assists double-double in the first three games of their rookie season. Additionally, Paige also recorded 41 Points, 20 Assists (total) on the season, the fastest to ever do it.

Meanwhile, Paige’s backcourt running mate Arike Ogunbowale also made history. Arike matched one of the greatest players in the game, in all-time leading scorer Diana Taurasi. Arike now stands with Taurasi as the fastest to 500 three pointers made.

However, the Wings fought hard in this game and stayed competitive throughout the game. The good news is the Wings did not allow a 30 point quarter, the bad news is they still have anemic offense. The Wings for the first time this season failed to score over 25 in a quarter. Still very young in the year, but this season they have not had a 30pt quarter.

And yet… there were bright spots. There always are.

Historic Night in the North Star State

Let’s start with the good news.

Paige Bueckers is already accomplishing feats on the court that some of the great modern guards in history have not accomplished such as Caitlin Clark and Diana Taurasi.

Twelve points. Ten assists. Three steals. Cool as hell. In her third career game, in the building where she once won a high school state title, Paige became just the third rookie in league history to drop a points/assists double-double in one of her first three games.

The other two? Shoni Schimmel and Suzie McConnell-Serio. That’s elite hoops lore.

Also: she’s the fastest player in WNBA history to hit 20 assists.

Also also: she’s got more assists (20) than turnovers (7) through three games.

Also also also: she did it in front of 12,134 fans and approximately half the state of Minnesota.

 

“I’m just being in the present moment,” Paige said. “Just seeing what the possession looks like.”

Arike Hits 500 Threes!!

Arike Ogunbowale is a bucket.

This is known. She dropped 21 points, tied Diana Taurasi as the fastest player in league history to hit 500 made threes (just 198 games), and reminded everyone that she can cook from deep even on off nights.

“She’s a legend,” Arike said of DT. “Anytime you can make an imprint in this league… I’m glad I was able to celebrate a little bit with my team.”

This was peak Arike. Smirking in transition, pulling from the logo, flexing after big shots, and drilling a clutch three with the game on the line.

Paige found her wide open with under 40 seconds left.

No hesitation.

One catch, one release, and a perfect splash brought the Wings back within a one possession game.

But it still wasn’t enough.

Napheesa Collier and the Lynx Said ‘Nah’

Of course, none of that mattered to Minnesota.

Once again, they reminded the Wings, and the rest of the WNBA world that they do not care about your storylines. The only story they are interested in, is putting themselves into a position to win another championship in the franchise’s history.

Napheesa Collier, who’s on an MVP like tear dropped 28 points and iced the game like it was a pumpkin spice latte.

Phee hit two clutch free throws with 11 seconds left and basically let everyone know that this is her league.

Additionally, Courtney Williams threw in 13 points and got the dagger offensive rebound. Alanna Smith did her usual chaos-and-contests routine. And the Lynx (3–0) showed they’re not just a Finals fluke—they’re once again a real-deal problem.

The Wings were within two in the final minute after an Arike pull-up, but Williams grabbed her own miss with the clock bleeding and Phee finished the job.

No prayers. No chaos. Just execution.

The Good, the Bad, and the Absolutely No Boxing Out

Here’s the problem: this Wings team is cool on paper and a bit confusing in real life.

They’ve got 10 new players. A first year head coach.

A rookie point guard starting.

The chemistry is still marinating and every time they start to sizzle, a piece of key detail gets left out. Whether it’s a missed rotation, a crucial turnover late, or a bad foul.

“I think we’re still figuring things out,” head coach Chris Koclanes said. “Trying to find what’s working, putting people in different spots, Arike facilitating… just seeing what fits.”

Translation: We’re building IKEA furniture without the instructions.

And the good news in spite of all of this, yet—there’s hope.

Maddy Siegrist has shown consistency through the season. Ty Harris has been a beacon of hope off of the bench.

And Paige? She’s continues to show flashes of something special.

State Fair and Pookie Love

After the game, Paige didn’t get caught up in the homecoming drama. She kept it chill.

“I only really come back in August for the state fair,” she said. “Go with friends family. Eat good food.”

She shouted out her UConn ride-or-die Aubrey Griffin—“that’s my pookie”—and sidestepped every “face of the league” question like it was a screen-and-roll.

It’s early, but Paige is already walking that delicate line between hometown hero and dead-eyed assassin.

She’s building something. They all are.

Final Thought: 0–3, But the Blueprint’s There

This team isn’t good yet. Let’s be honest.

But they’re interesting, and in the early part of a W season, that might matter more. They’ve got a superstar scorer, a rookie phenom finding her rhythm, and enough chaos to fill a Marvel spinoff. The defense is shaky. The rebounding is worse. But you can see what they’re trying to build.

A little playmaking. A little movement. A whole lot of Arike and Paige.

They’re not winning games, but they are fighting and they are still figuring stuff out. And if this team every does start to gel correctly? Look out.

Right now, they’re just a beautiful mess.

But Paige Bueckers is doing cool sh*t, and the highlights are going viral anyway