Paige Bueckers delivers glowing review of Storm rookie after 32-point showcase originally appeared on The Sporting News.
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Paige Bueckers was the best player on the court during the Dallas Wings’ 92-70 victory over the Seattle Storm, but she made sure Flau’jae Johnson received recognition afterward. Bueckers scored a game-high 32 points while adding four rebounds, four assists and one steal Sunday at College Park Center. Johnson countered with 23 points, six rebounds, three steals and two assists for Seattle.
Following the game, Bueckers praised the Storm rookie’s mentality, consistency and two-way effort.
“She just has a dog mentality, regardless of win or loss,” Bueckers said. “She’s aggressive, she’s the same, she’s consistent in who she is every single night.”
That was only the beginning of Bueckers’ assessment.
Bueckers also highlighted Johnson’s ability to affect both ends of the floor and the visible energy with which she plays.
“Plays both sides of the floor, has a sense of pride and a sense of joy when she’s playing,” Bueckers said. “And she’s a scorer. She was born to score.”
“She’s a scorer, she was born to score”- Paige talks about Flau’jae pic.twitter.com/OPSN6qtYyY
— Flaujae #1 Fanpage (The Flauk) (@TheFlauk) August 23, 2026
Johnson emerged as Seattle’s brightest performer in an otherwise difficult game. The Storm struggled to keep pace with Dallas, but the former LSU standout continued attacking despite the widening margin.
Her 23 points led Seattle, while her three steals demonstrated the defensive activity Bueckers referenced. Johnson entered the WNBA with a profile extending well beyond basketball. She became a national champion at LSU, developed a successful music career and built a significant social media following.
Her rookie season, however, is showing that basketball remains much more than one piece of her public brand.
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The victory gave Dallas its 22nd win and moved the Wings closer to securing a postseason berth.
Bueckers, the 2025 WNBA Rookie of the Year, explained afterward that she tries to avoid judging everything strictly by results. She also admitted that philosophy can be difficult to follow.
“Winning just makes me so happy,” Bueckers said. “Losing freaking sucks, and I hate losing.”
Dallas has six regular-season games remaining and could clinch a playoff spot when it hosts the Portland Fire on Tuesday.
Bueckers’ performance against Seattle was another reminder of how rapidly the Wings have built around their franchise guard. She controls games as a scorer and creator, but her postgame praise also showed the respect she has for another young player beginning a promising professional career.
The Wings and Storm are moving in different directions in the standings. Their leading young guards, however, offered an intriguing glimpse at a matchup that could matter in the WNBA for years.
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