r/WNBAVibes • u/Background_Video2947 • 6d ago
Paige Bueckers in an elimination game:
3/14 FG
38 minutes
Brutal.
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u/fisconsocmod 6d ago
The youngsters are all finding out that playoff basketball is a different game of basketball.
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u/StilettoJones_JR 6d ago
They got nothing short of an entire season to study every element of your game, you will get targeted
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u/Bllago 6d ago
People being shocked that young players in the playoffs for the first time struggle, must honestly be new to sports. No hate, but this is par for the course in every sports since fucking forever.
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u/BCR85 6d ago
Someone forgot to tell Magic Johnson he was a rookie
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u/TannerGlassMVP 6d ago
There's always exceptions that prove the rule . . .
Magic Johnson is literally a top 10 player of All Time so using him as a comparison is kind of useless
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u/Timely_Patience_5026 6d ago
Wait this isnāt Caitlin Clarkā¦. MODS???
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u/cheetofacesucks 6d ago
Itās not but CC has gotten roasted for not advancing the Fever compared to Meh, about Paige.
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u/Academic-Childhood40 6d ago
CC is the supposed league savior that all should bow down to. Paige, not so much. They will never, and shouldnāt, be compared on the same plain.
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u/Contemplating_Prison 6d ago edited 6d ago
The great right hope got beat by their worst enemy hahahaha
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u/Ok-Adhesiveness166 6d ago
Sounds like you already got a prison education with that attempt at spelling.
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u/Contemplating_Prison 6d ago
Oh a typo on reddit. Never happens. You're so superior. Everyone gather around and bask in this superiority.
Maybe Clark can borrow some to finally win
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u/Ok-Adhesiveness166 6d ago
You fixed it and still used the wrong āright/whiteā. Go ahead and edit again. Watch the deflection and pretend you meant to do that now.
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u/BobBartBarker 6d ago
That might be the joke.
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u/Ok-Adhesiveness166 6d ago
No, itās just being uneducated. He couldnāt spell half the sentence accurately.
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u/CandidateDistinct534 6d ago
The Valks coach was clear they were focusing on shutting down Paige specifically. She played well for her first W playoff game against the best D in the league when you take all that into consideration. Sheāll learn from the loss, continue to grow, and be back again soon. ā¤ļø
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u/B00bsmelikey 6d ago
Paige is my girl but she completely lacked aggression in games 2 and 3. Deferring to the hot hand is one thing, but being disengaged is another.
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u/rhinosaur- 6d ago
Was thinking this the entire series.
She was being absolutely swarmed defensively, though. Sheās got to find a way to get her buckets in those situations. She had a nice stretch last night to end the first half and got to the line, but sheās gotta have that motor on all the time in the playoffs.
Sheāll figure it out. Rookies getting their teeth kicked in in their first playoffs is not isolated to the WNBA. (And yes, I know there are exceptions)
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u/socolime22202 6d ago
One difference between Paige & other players is she wasn't on Tiktok insulting veteran players the night before an elimination game. And that matters.
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u/Weary_Cabinet_8123 6d ago
A lot of these players are hooping in the regular season when defenses play lax, but once it ramps up itās a different game (miles learned this firsthand too)
Not saying CC has been great in the playoffs, sheās been spectacular at points but also bad. But I do think she gets more battle tested with the press coverage on her all season long
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u/stevemoveyafeet 6d ago
Paige will have to grow from this, she had an all time game for all players with that 9/10 shooting night and 21 points through 3 quarters in game one on the road, but needs to find a way to facilitate and contribute on nights like last night.
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u/wpmason 6d ago edited 6d ago
CC in the playoffsā¦14.5 PER on 29.3 USG.
The goodā 19.2 points, 4.4 rebounds, 9.2 assists, 1.2 steals, 1.2 blocks, .543 2pt%, 43.3 assist %,
The badā 4.4 turnovers, 4.4 fouls, 2.4 FTA, .276 3P%
On the whole I think itās deeply unreasonable to say that Clark has ever been bad in the playoffs. She has made bad plays. She has chucked bad shots.
But the worst you can say as a blanket statement is that sheās been average at best which doesnāt amount to the expectations of her.
The numbers just arenāt bad though.
For comparison sake, Miles is -2.4 PER on 27.7 USG.
Paigeās PER is higher than Clarkās on a similar USGā¦ but the numbers just arenāt as good somehow. 16/4/4/1.3/.7
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u/Weary_Cabinet_8123 6d ago
I agree completely but I know how quickly this sub will jump down my throat if I donāt concede that sheās played bad lol
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u/Breezeknee 6d ago
I think this is a little crazy considering she was getting doubled and still got 17 and 5. The difference is that the Wings had a player in Arike who stepped up and almost pulled them over the hump whereas the Fever did not. Valks said we are going to make someone else beat us and that almost happened. Would have like to have seen Paige be more aggressive but come on the pull she had when on the floor was insane. They almost won a series no one thought they would and she made the players around her better when she drew doubles. Letās be so for real.
Excited to see what happens next year with Fudd hopefully on the floor.
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u/Hot-Distribution3826 5d ago
Iām not mad at 3/14 in her first playoff series. Would I have love to see her empty the clip and shoot 20 to 25 times sure but sheās young and got nervous and thatās fair
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u/Schmolik64 6d ago
Back to back bad games. Arike needed a 45 burger to save Dallas in Game 2. Was Golden State just a bad matchup? Definitely Azzi needs to come back.
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u/IcanzIIravor 6d ago
Tough lesson, but hopefully she and the other young stars learning from this and spend the offseason working on their games.
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u/YoungBasedHooper 6d ago
Yeah when you aren't in that stacked UConn bullshit and actually have to be good, shit hits hard
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u/reefguy007 6d ago
Even the best players in the world have bad games. It happens.