Shemar Moore Surprises Superfan Paige Bueckers as She Smashes WNBA Rookie Scoring Record
Los Angeles, Aug 21 (TheTrendingPeople.com)-Paige Bueckers made WNBA history on Tuesday night — and had a Hollywood star in the crowd to witness it.
The Dallas Wings rookie sensation, 23, scored a staggering 44 points against the Los Angeles Sparks, setting a new league record for the most points ever by a rookie. The previous record of 34 points was held by WNBA legend Candace Parker.
Adding to the magic of the night, “Criminal Minds” actor Shemar Moore, one of Bueckers’ favorite celebrities, surprised her by showing up courtside at the Crypto.com Arena with his daughter Frankie and girlfriend.
After the game, a visibly excited Bueckers told Moore, “You’re my favorite, bro,” while posing for photos with the actor and his family.
A Dream Come True
Earlier this summer, Bueckers told Self magazine that her dream celebrity guests would be Shemar Moore and Grey’s Anatomy star Ellen Pompeo. Moore saw the interview and responded on social media:
“Ayyeee @paigebueckers 👀 I see you and I heard you Baby Girl!!!! You never know when your boy might show up and HOLLA your name at one of your games.”
On August 20, he kept his promise.
A Historic Rookie Season
Though the Wings fell just short in a nail-biting one-point loss to the Sparks, Bueckers’ record-breaking performance electrified the WNBA.
- 44 points – most ever by a WNBA rookie
- First player since 1968 to score 40+ points in both an NCAA Tournament and WNBA game in the same year
- All-Star selection in her rookie year
- Strong favorite for Rookie of the Year honors
The former UConn Huskies star led her team to the NCAA Championship in April before entering the WNBA draft. Since then, her transition to the professional league has been nothing short of remarkable.
Off-Court Spotlight
Off the court, Bueckers has become one of the faces of women’s basketball. She has fronted campaigns for Coach and Madison Reed, building her profile beyond sports.
She also made headlines recently after confirming she is dating her former UConn teammate Azzi Fudd, telling PEOPLE in July that she was “set up” into revealing the relationship.
What’s Next?
With her rookie season only halfway through, Bueckers has already cemented herself as one of the brightest young stars in the league. Her record-breaking performance — cheered on by one of her biggest idols — marks a defining moment not only in her career but in WNBA history.
TheTrendingPeople Takeaway:
Paige Bueckers isn’t just living her basketball dream — she’s rewriting the record books while getting star-powered support along the way.