The 2025 NCAA Champion. No. 1 overall pick in the 2025 draft.

WNBA’s fifth-leading scorer in just one year and the 2025 Rookie of the Year. Paige Bueckers has been just phenomenal. Yet, would it be enough to deliver the same impact with a different format?

Well, if you’re asking Renee Montgomery, then yes.

“Paige Bueckers, though, I think is going to be showtime. You give her time and space. Usually it’s crowded when she plays, and she has to work in a small space. Unrivaled is going to open up,” the two-time WNBA champion shared during the January 5 episode of TNT Sports.

And whatever she said was clearly visible as Paige came out on the court. The Dallas Wings superstar locked horns against Phantom BC and started dominating. By the end of the game, she had 24 points, six assists, and five rebounds. And this was enough to help the expansion team record its first win in franchise history.

But the credit for the win isn’t just held by PB. That’s because at Breeze, she’s not overburdened as the sole source of reliable offense.

As Renee added, “She has a shooter in Kate Martin on the outside. Then you have Dominique, who’s versatile. This is an exciting team, I think.”

PB got purity from Rickea Jackson’s mid-range game, while Cam and Malonga are her two threatening pick-and-roll partners. And together, Breeze made it problematic for Phantom to score. As a result, they turned up as winners. But for PB, a win isn’t her ultimate goal.

Paige Bueckers has her eyes on something else

The 2025 WNBA Rookie of the Year entered Unrivaled with a purpose. Apart from getting 3-on-3 experience, she’s looking to take more trips to the free-throw line.

“I want to work on my left hand more and I want to get to the free-throw line more,” Bueckers said today during an interview with Bleacher Report. “So low-key, [I’m working on] a little foul bait.”

She’s limited to just 19.5 percent of her points at the foul line. So foul baiting could make her unstoppable. She can use subtle movements to draw fouls from officials.

She’s got inspiration from Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, who has the second-most free-throw attempts in the NBA. But of course, it won’t be an easy task to learn. Can she do it?

Written by

Yashika Dutta

Edited by

Oajaswini Prabhu