Paige Bueckers Voices Regret After Dallas Wings Collapse on Transition Defense Against Indiana Fever

No doubt, when Paige Bueckers went up against Caitlin Clark for the first time in her WNBA career, it didn’t unfold the way she might have imagined. The Dallas Wings were blown out by the Indiana Fever in a 102–83 loss. Still, PB made sure to give CC all the flowers she deserved, sharing, “She’s a very smart basketball player.” And yes, CC absolutely is. Though she scored 14 points, it was her 13 assists that stood out, helping the Fever notch a franchise-record 30 assists. So everything PB said rang true. But while Paige remembers to uplift others, she’s not one to stay silent on her own shortcomings either!

The game kicked off with a new-look Dallas starting five: JJ Quinerly, Paige Bueckers, Arike Ogunbowale, Li Yueru, and Luisa Geiselsoder, marking Arike Ogunbowale’s return after a ligament tear in her left thumb sidelined her for four games. But did the veteran’s return and the subsequent lineup shuffle help? Well, not in the way Dallas had hoped. So, while Yueru opened strong, scoring the Wings’ first four points and assisting on Bueckers’ early three-pointer to spark a 16–11 lead, Indiana quickly responded with a 10–2 run, and never looked back.

And when Wings managed a 28–27 edge heading into the second quarter, Indiana flipped the script with a dominating 33–9 run that lasted until the 1:36 mark. The Fever shot a staggering 76.2% from the field in that stretch and dialed up an aggressive defensive scheme – blitzing Bueckers in pick-and-rolls, forcing rushed offensive decisions. Sound familiar? That’s exactly the type of coverage Aliyah Boston struggled against before Aari McDonald joined the Fever. Remember Boston’s four-point outing on May 23 and seven-point game on June 11, both against Atlanta? Now, it’s Bueckers facing the same challenge. But the rookie sensation is owning up to every bit of the Wings’ struggles.

“I still feel like I could’ve taken care of the ball better… But just making the right read out of the trap, out of them setting a double, and then playing to that advantage,” she reflected. The self-assessment was on point. She played 33 minutes, shot 9-of-15 from the field, and finished with 21 points, four rebounds, four assists, and two steals. However, she also committed four turnovers—the second-most in the game behind Myisha Hines-Allen. The Wings turned the ball over 18 times, resulting in 23 points for Indiana.

 

Paige Bueckers on improving

“I still feel like I could’ve taken care of the ball better.”

— Moreau Sports Media Prod Co. (@MoreauSportsCo) July 13, 2025

So, it made sense when she added, “Just bringing two to the ball … creates an advantage for us on the backside playing four against three… So just reading that—when to use a ball screen, when not to, when to just get out in space… that’s where I want to grow.” Well, Indiana trapped hard, doubling at the point of attack, and Bueckers was often their target.

Her ability to read and respond to those traps was crucial, and her efficient shooting showed she broke through the coverage at times. But Indiana’s 11 steals and 30 assists (compared to Dallas’ 24) allowed them to repeatedly turn defensive pressure into transition opportunities and backdoor reads.

Despite Bueckers’ scoring efficiency, the Wings hit only eight threes and made just seven free throws as a team, showing a lack of spacing and limited rim pressure. Meanwhile, Indiana’s 64 first-half points marked the most scored in any half by a team this WNBA season. And do you know where that defensive strategy came from?

Not AB but Caitlin Clark herself is the OG!

We all know how CC’s rookie season went, so considering that, we already knew her sophomore year would come with a league-wide adjustment—and a lot of defensive targeting. Ever since her explosive return against the New York Liberty on June 15, where she scored 32 points and nailed seven threes, teams have been laser-focused on shutting her down. And leading that shift was Liberty head coach Sandy Brondello, who set the tone early in the season: “We have to do a great job against her.”

Natasha Cloud’s stifling defense, Zia Cooke’s off-ball tracking, and even full-court pressure from second units—all are becoming familiar sights when Clark’s on the court. As Debbie Antonelli summed it up, “That’s always the strategy coming into Indiana—stop Caitlin Clark.” And it’s working. Since returning from her latest groin injury, Clark has shot just 13-of-41 from the field, including 5-of-19 from beyond the arc.

July 11, 2025; Indianapolis, Indiana, USA; IIndiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark (22) passes around Atlanta Dream guard Rhyne Howard (10) and center Brittney Griner (42) at Gainbridge Fieldhouse. Mandatory Credit: Grace Smith/INDIANAPOLIS STAR-Imagn Images

So it makes sense why analysts like Zena Keita of The Athletic have noticed the impact: “It’s not the same kind of return you saw after New York… those Sandy Brondello rules are really starting to play into the way that people are guarding Caitlin.” And yes, it’s not just them, as even Golden State Valkyries coach Natalie Nakase acknowledged the detailed scouting: “We know she doesn’t like physicality, right? We know that she wants to get to that left stepback.”

With teams denying her rhythm, picking her up at half court, and face-guarding her relentlessly, Clark’s usual offensive magic has taken a backseat, as by now, it’s pretty much a standard picked up by all 13 teams across the W. But yes, while Stephanie White is still figuring out a way to make it work for CC, she also turned the strategy into her own weapon to stop another rookie phenom. But now, the real question is: Is there a way out?

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