Bueckers blast: League on notice as rookie rises

• Australian WNBL MVP Sami Whitcomb's Phoenix Mercury moves to 7-4
• Wings rookie Paige Bueckers produced the best game of her career
• How to watch every WNBA game in Australia in 2025

Australian Opals point guard Sami Whitcomb's Phoenix Mercury (7-4) defeated the Dallas Wings (1-10) 93-80 at Footprint Center despite an exceptional 35-point performance by rookie Paige Bueckers.

Mercury star Satou Sabally's 20-point, nine-rebound shift proved too much for the Wings despite Bueckers having the best performance of her young career.

First pick in the 2025 WNBA Draft Bueckers went 13-from-19 from the field in 37 minutes, grabbed six rebounds, had four assists, a steal and block.

Key Details

• Result: Phoenix Mercury 93 def. Dallas Wings 80
• When: June 12, 2025
• Where: Footprint Center, Phoenix
• Standings: Phoenix Mercury (#5) | Dallas Wings (#11)

By the Numbers

• Satou Sabally (Phoenix Mercury) starred with 20 points, nine rebounds, two assists, and one steal in 26 minutes.
• Paige Bueckers (Dallas Wings) scored 35 points, and had six rebounds, four assists, one steal, and one block in 37 minutes.

What Happened

The Mercury built their victory with a steady, quarter-by-quarter approach, outscoring the Wings in each period. Phoenix established a slim 21-20 lead after the first quarter before extending their advantage to 42-36 at halftime. The hosts continued to pull away in the third quarter, outscoring Dallas 25-21 to take a 67-57 lead into the final period.

Phoenix's balanced scoring attack proved too much for Dallas to handle. With 4:30 remaining in the fourth quarter, Kitija Laksa hit a crucial three-pointer that extended the Mercury's lead to 82-69, effectively sealing the game. The Wings' Paige Bueckers tried to keep her team in contention with consistent scoring throughout, but lacked sufficient support from her teammates.

Bueckers was exceptional for Dallas, scoring 35 points on an efficient 13-from-19 shooting, including 5-from-7 from beyond the arc. However, no other Wings player scored more than 11 points, highlighting their offensive struggles. DiJonai Carrington contributed 11 points and eight rebounds but shot just 4-from-10 from the field.

The Mercury's superior team basketball was evident in their 23 assists compared to Dallas' 16, with Alyssa Thomas leading the way with 10 assists to go along with her 11 points. Phoenix also displayed excellent shooting efficiency, converting 50 percent of their field goal attempts (35-from-70) and an outstanding 42.9 percent from three-point range (15-from-35). Laksa provided valuable scoring off the bench with 14 points, including four three-pointers.

Defensively, Phoenix's activity led to nine steals and six blocks, forcing 14 Wings turnovers. The Mercury's superior depth was also apparent as their bench outscored the Dallas reserves 34-11. With this win, Phoenix improved to 7-4 overall and 6-2 at home, solidifying their position in the playoff picture, while Dallas fell to a disappointing 1-10, continuing to occupy the bottom portion of the WNBA standings.