Ja Morant Had Two Words for Paige Bueckers After Historic WNBA News

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Josh Valdez | Last updated Aug 21, 2025 12:40 AM ET

There have been countless professional sports players drafted high that didn't pan out, but Dallas Wings guard Paige Bueckers is not one of them. The No. 1 overall pick came into Wednesday night's bout with the Los Angeles Sparks leading all rookies with 18.8 points per game on 45.8 percent shooting (31 percent 3 PT) with 5.4 assists over 34 minutes.

Bueckers established herself at UConn as a well-rounded assassin offensively, capable of taking over games both by scoring and facilitating. The Minnesota native was the 2021 AP Player of the Year, Naismith College Player of the Year, and USBWA National Player of the Year as a freshman after averaging 20 points on 52.4 percent sh ooting (46.4 percent 3 PT) with 5.8 assists in 36.1 minutes.

Bueckers also won unanimous first-team All-American honors three times and capped off her collegiate run with an NCAA title in 2025. Now, the 23-year-old is breaking new ground in the WNBA.

Bueckers notched 44 points (17-21 FG, 4-4 3 PT) with four rebounds and three assists against the Sparks on Wednesday, breaking Candace Parker's record for the most points by a drafted rookie in a single game. It's also the highest-scoring performance by any WNBA player this season and is the first time in league history that a player tallied 40-plus points on 80-plus percent shooting.

Memphis Grizzlies star Ja Morant praised Bueckers on social media.

"Paige hoopin," he said.

Morant is a successful guard in his own right, as he's a two-time NBA All-Star as well as a former Rookie of the Year and Most Improved Player. The 26-year-old is also no stranger to scoring records, as his career-high 52 points vs. the San Antonio Spurs on Feb. 28, 2022 is the most in franchise history.

paige hoopin
— Ja Morant (@JaMorant) August 21, 2025

Paige Bueckers' Unreal Night Was Also Bittersweet

Dallas still lost 81-80 despite Bueckers' performance, as fellow star Kelsey Plum hit a buzzer-beater to win it for Los Angeles. Additionally, Bueckers needed just one more point to beat Cynthia Cooper's all-time single-game rookie record.

The Wings also fell 97-96 to the Sparks on Friday before losing 106-87 to the Las Vegas Aces on Sunday. They're firmly out of the playoff race at 9-27, but games like Wednesday's are a reminder of how bright their future is with Bueckers in the fold.

Up next for Dallas is a home date with the Seattle Storm on Friday.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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