Bueckers’ hot hand, however, didn’t last. She was held to just three points in the third quarter while the Mercury pushed their lead to double digits. They then opened the final period on a 9-4 burst to put the Wings away for good, which allowed them to cruise to the 13-point win.

Bueckers, who returned after missing four games due to concussion protocol and an illness, made her first six shots of the game and finished 13 of 19. She became the fourth rookie in Dallas history to score 30-plus points in a single game, with Arike Ogunbowale the last to do it in 2019.

Dallas Wings rookie Paige Bueckers returned to the court on Wednesday night after being out for four weeks with a concussion.