Despite holding a double-digit lead into the game's second half, Paige Bueckers and the Dallas Wings saw that lead slip away as the No. 2 seed Gold State Valkyries staged an impressive comeback to win Game 3 of their playoff series. With the loss, the Wings are officially eliminated from the WNBA Playoffs. Bueckers, playing in her first playoff appearance in two seasons, became particularly emotional after the loss.
Her veteran teammate, Arike Ogunbowale, comforted her during their postgame press conference as Bueckers fought back tears. "Just our selfless nature and how much we enjoyed coming to work," Bueckers said when asked what stood out to her about the team's growth from her rookie season to this season. Paige became visibly overcome by emotion as she looked at the Game 3 stat sheet before putting her head down on the table.
More news: A’ja Wilson Gets Honest About Fan Confrontation After Aces Eliminate Fever Bueckers, a college basketball national champion under Geno Auriemma at UConn, had a particularly disappointing shooting performance in Game 3, making just 3 of 14 shots. She still finished with 17 points, six assists, two blocks, two steals, and one rebound in the losing effort. Bueckers later answered a question about her veteran teammate, Ogunbowale, and gave her praise for playing a major role in her growth since joining the team last season.
Ultimately, she and the Wings fell to a Golden State team that also features Bueckers' former UConn teammate, Kaitlyn Chen, and former UConn player Gabby Williams, who led the Valkyries with 19 points, four rebounds, two assists, and two steals. Despite the disappointment of losing a hard-fought Game 3, Dallas had a huge turnaround season. During Bueckers' rookie season, the team went 10-34 and had the No. 1 pick in this year's draft, reuniting Bueckers with her former UConn teammate, Azzi Fudd.
Fudd played in 30 regular-season games before undergoing season-ending arthroscopic surgery to address lingering soreness in her right knee. She continued supporting her teammates from the Wings' bench as they had an impressive run that nearly continued into the second round. Meanwhile, the Dallas Wings' future seems bright, with Fudd continuing to develop her game at the professional level and Bueckers continuing to emerge as one of the league's premier stars.
In addition, veteran stars Ogunbowale and Jessica Shepard make for an extremely competitive and talented lineup. The Golden State Valkyries meet the defending champion Las Vegas Aces in the semifinals, with the winner advancing to the WNBA Finals. Game 1 of the Valkyries-Aces series begins on Sunday at 4 p.m.
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