The superstar rookie has some things to learn as a newcomer to the league

Paige Bueckers pisses off WNBA champion Kelsey Plum and gets reminded that she’s just a rookieDallas Wings

Paige Bueckers is learning to adapt to the WNBA and playing with the Dallas Wings, as the former national champion with the UConn Huskies hopes to become one of the best players in the league.

She has missed three consecutive games after being placed in the concussion protocol on May 30. The soonest the Minnesota native could return is on Sunday against the Minnesota Lynx. She last appeared in the Wings’ loss to the Chicago Sky on May 29, but it’s unclear exactly when she suffered a concussion.

Her team is off to the worst start of the season, with an awful 1-8 record, which has started to cause some concern for the Texas team, as the Wings head coach Chris Koclanes has admitted publicly that her players have performed poorly.

Paige Bueckers makes Kelsey Plum mad

The Dallas Wings lost to the Los Angeles Sparks 93-79 at College Park Center in Arlington, Texas, and after the game, Bueckers got to spend a brief moment with two time WNBA champion and former All-Star Game MVP Kelsey Plum, one of the stars of the league.

 

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The seven year veteran asked Bueckers how was she recovering from her head injury, and the rookie seemed to have a friendly response to her rival. Kelsey laughed off but as she walked away, the Sparks guard looked at a camera and said: “Rookies talking s— is crazy.”

It is well known that being a rookie in the WNBA can mean a multitude of things, especially when it comes to duties like delivering laundry and uniforms to the other players on game day, roller coaster playing time, or information overloads during practices. One of the main things as a newcomer is the fact that they have to pay respect to the veterans, something that Paige will have to get better at.

A smooth transition from UConn to the WNBA

On the basketball court, the transition to the WNBA has been smooth for Paige Bueckers so far. She’s averaged 14.7 points, 6.7 assists, and 4.7 rebounds- becoming the first player in league history with 60 points and 30 assists through five games.

 

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However, her trademark efficiency has suffered. Bueckers has hit just 41.7 percent from the field and 30.8 percent from three to go along with an uncharacteristic 79.2 percent mark from the line. Still, Bueckers has limited turnovers, keeping the total below three in every contest while owning a 2.91 assist-to-turnover ratio.

Given that initial success, the biggest adjustments for Bueckers have come off the court. In particular, the frequency of games and the amount of travel have been eye-opening for her. In her final college season, UConn played 40 games across 151 days, averaging out to one contest every 3.8 days. In the league, the Wings are scheduled for 44 games in just 119 games, or one every 2.7 days.