Paige Bueckers figures to play a key role again Sunday against when the Dallas Wings look for a 2-0 start to their four-game road trip in a visit to the Toronto Tempo.
Bueckers scored 25 points for the third consecutive game on Thursday when the Wings (12-8) opened the trip with an 86-83 victory over the Connecticut Sun. She added seven rebounds and seven assists, while scoring 11 of her points in the fourth quarter as Dallas overcame an 11-point deficit with 7:11 to play.
“She does things every single day that now you’re not surprised by anymore,” Wings coach Jose Fernandez said. “She’s just different. She’s such a competitor and a winner, and she just refuses to lose. Certain guys don’t want the ball in their hands at the end, don’t want to take the big shot, and she never shies away from the big moment.”
Jessica Shepard added 14 points for Dallas and reserve Alanna Smith scored 11 for Dallas, which had lost its previous two games.
Before Bueckers’ streak of three 25-point games, she scored 27 against the Seattle Storm in a 112-110 overtime win on June 22.
After visiting the New York Liberty on Tuesday, the Wings will end their road swing Friday against the Tempo at Montreal.
The Tempo (9-10) have been idle since an 89-80 home loss to the Phoenix Mercury on June 27.
The Tempo were without Marina Mabrey in the loss because of neck spasms. In Toronto’s previous game, she tied a WNBA record with 53 points in a 125-97 home victory over the Los Angeles Sparks on June 25.
“I didn’t know until right before the game,” Tempo coach Sandy Brondello said of Mabrey’s injury. “She warmed up … and then they ruled her out. That was hard, because you can’t really plan, you’re planning on the fly, and rotations change a little bit.”
Mabrey has been listed as day-to-day. She was at practice on Friday and appears set to play on Sunday.
In Mabrey’s absence, Nyara Sabally led Toronto with 14 points against Phoenix. Reserve Tima Pouye added 13 points. Kia Nurse replaced Mabrey at guard and scored 12. Isabelle Harrison had 12 points and seven rebounds while Julie Allemand had 11 points, 10 assists and seven rebounds.
“Julie is such a great playmaking guard, and she wants to create if you can set really good screens,” Brondello said. “She’s a pass-first point guard. I mean, who wouldn’t want to play with someone like that?”
–Field Level Media
