
Here’s a look at the generational talent the Mercury are set to face ahead of tonight’s contest.
The Phoenix Mercury face the Dallas Wings and their star rookie, Paige Bueckers, on Thursday at College Park Center in Arlington, Texas. The game will be televised by Arizona’s Family 3TV and Arizona’s Family Sports.
Bueckers, who was selected first overall in the 2025 WNBA Draft, is considered a generational talent. She became just the 10th player in the league’s history to be named an All-Star starter in their rookie season. This season, she is averaging the most points (18.4), assists (5.4), and steals (1.8) of the rookie class.
Bueckers scored a career-high 35 points in a 93-80 loss to the Mercury on July 11.
Bright Side of the Sun scouts Bueckers:
Generational Talent?
Bueckers is considered one of the greatest UConn women’s basketball players ever. Coach Geno Auriemma has overseen the development of legends Diana Taurasi, Sue Bird, Maya Moore, and Breanna Stewart, among others. Bueckers may be his best player when her career is all said and done.
The 6-foot-tall Bueckers is often compared to the Indiana Fever’s Caitlin Clark. But their similarities end at their popularity. While Clark is an excellent 3-point shooter, Bueckers may be the more talented young player.
Bueckers started as a freshman for Minnekota (Minn.) Hopkins was one of the most successful players in the state. She was compared to Tayler Hill, a McDonald’s All-American selection.
Bueckers’ ensuing collegiate career captivated basketball fans. She earned AP Player of the Year honors in 2021, averaging 20.0 points. The Huskies advanced to the NCAA Final Four and had a 28-2 record.
Bueckers was expected to receive Player of the Year honors as a sophomore, but she missed 19 games due to a knee injury. Her career was further derailed by a torn ACL in her left knee injury Aug. 2022.
Bueckers’ career was threatened, but her recovery was successful. She averaged a career-high 21.9 points as a junior. The Huskies were beaten by Clark, however, and the Iowa Hawkeyes in the Final Four.
Due to her knee injury, Bueckers had a final season of eligibility in 2024-25. She chose to forego the WNBA Draft and finally helped the Huskies win a national title.
Strengths
Bueckers was famously recognized by a Minneapolis sports journalist in the sixth grade. Little did the reporter know that Bueckers would become everything he thought she would be.
Bueckers is a basketball savant. She can hold her dribble away from swiping defenders at ease. She can cross over into her jump shot or pull back for a 3-pointer. Her handles remind me of a younger Diana Taurasi.
Taurasi is regarded as arguably the greatest women’s player ever, and a fairer comparison for the young Bueckers. She is a fierce competitor, something that even Auriemma admitted he had to work with.
She is a high-level scorer, but her vision is arguably the better part of her game. Bueckers in her final season at UConn became the first player in college basketball, NBA or WNBA history to lead the country in assist-to-turnover ratio and have 50/40/90 splits. Bueckers totaled the second-best assist-to-turnover ratio (3.52) by the conclusion of her season.
Bueckers has torched the Mercury before, and she is a threat off the dribble and from deep. Making 13-of-19 field goals and 5-of-7 threes against Phoenix, she showed already why she is one of the most popular athletes in professional sports.
“Paige Buckets” is at her best with the ball in her hands. Wings coach Chris Koclanes may not have her as the primary ball-handler enough because she’s been assisted on a majority of her mid-range shots.
Weaknesses
Yeah, there’s none really.
Scouts have nit-picked at Bueckers’ lack of aggression offensively and some defensive lapses. But check the numbers and you’ll see that Bueckers is already one of the most complete players in the WNBA.
She’s going to find ways to score, but you have to put her in tough spots to make plays for her teammates.
Bueckers will challenge Phoenix’s guards as she averages 1.8 steals per contest.
Preview
The Mercury will look to respond from their 84-81 loss to the Las Vegas Aces. Phoenix had the longest winning streak (six games) in the WNBA prior to the loss.
The Mercury are favored by 11.5 points by ESPN. I expect the Mercury to cover and win comfortably.
Prediction: Mercury 90, Wings 76
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