It is showering endorsements from all sides for Paige Bueckers. Right from head coach Chris Koclanes crowning her an undisputed ROY, the likes of Rebecca Lobo and Candace Parker have nearly shut the talks on the race. That 44-point performance against the Sparks even had Kelsey Plum admitting, “She was the best player on the court tonight.” So any threats Sonia Citron and Kiki Irifen had posed up until then seemed to dim just a little more. But if you ask the Seattle Storm minority owner, Sue Bird, it isn’t just the stats setting her apart.

Paige Bueckers’ Rookie of the Year case faltered a tiny bit when Iriafen took away the Rookie of the Month honors for May. The injury concerns and Dallas’s failing season only worsened the case for the young guard. But only until she didn’t let it.

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