Paige Bueckers Sets WNBA Rookie Scoring Record with 44 Points

Paige Bueckers, the rookie guard for the Dallas Wings, recently fulfilled a dream when actor Shemar Moore attended one of her games after she expressed a wish to have him courtside. During the game against the Los Angeles Sparks, Bueckers scored 44 points, setting a WNBA rookie record for most points in a single game and tying a record set by Cynthia Cooper in 1997. Despite the Wings losing narrowly 81-80 and being eliminated from playoff contention, Bueckers' performance was historic, featuring the first 40-point game by a WNBA player with an 80% shooting rate. After the game, Moore greeted Bueckers warmly in the tunnel, and she also took photos with Moore and his daughter. Bueckers has shown a pattern of elevated play when her idols are in attendance, having scored 27 points in a previous game when NBA star Kyrie Irving was present. She is averaging 19.7 points, 4.1 rebounds, 5.3 assists, and 1.7 steals during her rookie season, and she expressed pride in her team's fighting spirit despite the loss.