Paige Bueckers entered Crypto.com Arena for a WNBA Commissioner’s Cup game against the Los Angeles Sparks with extra motivation—then after a 104-96 win she leaned into the history of the building before pivoting back to the job at hand.
Paige Bueckers walked into Crypto.com Arena with something more than the usual playoff-style edge. For Friday night’s WNBA Commissioner’s Cup matchup against the Los Angeles Sparks. the Dallas Wings guard already had plenty to chase: the chance to inch closer to the $500. 000 prize and the league’s best overall record.
But when asked what made the night feel different, Bueckers pointed to the place that raised her as a fan. “LA. and this arena specifically. has so much history in it. ” she told reporters after the Wings finished with a 104-96 win. “It’s a legendary building, just an honor to play here. Grew up watching games here, was a big Kobe fan. So just really enjoy it and try to soak that in, that I’m living out my dream.”.
Bueckers is 24 now. but the memory goes back to her childhood—right to the moments that helped shape how she competes. The Lakers icon Kobe Bryant retired when she was 14. and she was old enough to take in what came after the move: the Purple and Gold’s run of back-to-back titles from 2009-10. performances that cemented why Bryant still resonated with young athletes long after the spotlight shifted.
The admiration carried a heavier weight, too. Bueckers was preparing for her freshman year at UConn when Bryant, his daughter Gianna, and seven other people were killed in a helicopter crash in January 2020. In the past, she recalled how that tragedy brought her to tears.
She has also honored him in small, personal ways. During one of her high school basketball games, Bueckers wore customized Nike Kobe sneakers to remember him.
So even as the arena’s history and the Bryant legacy sat underneath the moment, the night still demanded the kind of basketball that moves teams forward. And that’s exactly what Bueckers delivered. Her performance produced 18 points on 50 percent shooting and 14 assists in the 104-96 win.
Dallas is 7-3 at the start of the 2026 season, and the Wings’ momentum doesn’t stop in Los Angeles. Next. they visit the first-place Minnesota Lynx on Tuesday night—an immediate test of whether this was more than just a special stage. and whether the discipline Bryant was known for can still be translated into results.
Bryant’s work ethic remains a living reference point for Bueckers, and it’s the one part she seems determined to carry forward. She will try to emulate his championship success, and with how Dallas has begun the 2026 season, she may get that chance sooner rather than later.
Paige Bueckers Dallas Wings Los Angeles Sparks WNBA Commissioner's Cup Kobe Bryant Crypto.com Arena UConn Minnesota Lynx
Kobe nod fades?? I mean they won 104-96 so what are we even talking about.
I didn’t know Paige was a huge Kobe fan, that’s actually kinda sweet. Also 14 assists is wild, she basically ran the whole thing.
“Commissioner’s Cup” sounds like something made up for TV. But anyway, if she’s trying to honor Kobe then why is the headline saying it fades? Like the memory just… disappears? lol
Wait Kobe retired when she was 14… so she was born like 2010?? No that can’t be right. Then it says Dallas is 7-3 start of 2026, so are we in the future?? I’m confused but yeah congrats on the win.