Chris Koclanes Declares Paige Bueckers Among League’s Best as Rookie Faces Former Mentor & Lynx

Dallas Wings head coach has already made it clear that the 2025 Rookie of the Year award is soon coming to the Wings’ locker room, especially with Paige Bueckers’ impact on full display this season. And can you blame him? Ever since she got a hold of the league, the 23-year-old phenom has been setting history in just her first year as a pro. And no matter what hurdles — injuries or a team rolling downhill — the coach’s opinion about his star player isn’t changing.

“The analytics trends say layups and threes, but if you’re efficient at that mid-range and can get to your spots, that’s an efficient shot,” Koclanes said in a pregame press conference before locking up against the Minnesota Lynx. “We’re lucky to have one of those elite players on our team.”

Averaging 18.9 points with 5.4 assists and 3.8 rebounds per game, she’s been the lone constant in a Wings season marred by injuries and hardship signings. Despite the Wings’ league-worst 9-31 record, her poise and production have still kept them competitive.

“She impacts winning. She makes everybody on our team better. And she’s getting everybody’s best look, not just from one defender, but multiple defenders, right? You’ve seen all the clips lately of everyone’s game plan. It’s throw two, three, four, five bodies at her. So to be able to handle that for anybody, but especially as a rookie, your first time going through this gauntlet, it just speaks volumes to the type of player that she is,” he added.

But Monday’s contest carried extra weight for Bueckers, who returned home to Minnesota to face a Lynx squad led by her former teammate and mentor, DiJonai Carrington.

The post Chris Koclanes Declares Paige Bueckers Among League’s Best as Rookie Faces Former Mentor & Lynx appeared first on EssentiallySports.