Paige Bueckers Leads Furious Rally, But Breeze BC Falls to Phantom in Philadelphia

Paige Bueckers and her teammates fall just short in a big environment.

Sep 7, 2025; Los Angeles, California, USA; Dallas Wings guard Paige Bueckers (5) looks on during the first half against the Los Angeles Sparks at Crypto.com Arena. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images / Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images

The Unrivaled League hit Philadelphia on Friday night, the first time the league has traveled outside of its home base in Miami. And for its first action, we saw Dallas Wings star Paige Bueckers and Breeze BC take on Phantom BC. It was a battle of two 4-3 teams fighting for a possible playoff spot. That helped set the record for the largest crowd for a professional women's basketball game ever.

The first half saw eight lead changes, with neither team leading by more than two possessions. Phantom would eventually take a small lead into the half, but Paige Bueckers was thriving, as was her bench unit of Cam Brink and Rickea Jackson.

However, that close game broke loose in the third quarter as Phantom closed the quarter on an 8-2 run with Kiki Iriafen scoring 6 of those points. That had them leading by 7 at the end of the quarter. And to start the fourth, Phantom would build that lead to 9. In a game to 71, Phantom was up 62-53.

Paige Bueckers going to work look at Andre Drummond reaction 😭😭😭 https://t.co/UQLEr4xFiu pic.twitter.com/gcwA2SiG1n

— Shabazz 💫 (@ShowCaseShabazz) January 31, 2026

READ MORE: Dallas Wings Star Paige Bueckers Weighs In About What Separates Unrivaled vs. WNBA

Paige Bueckers helped lead a furious rally after that. She assisted Rickea Jackson for three, then converted two straight shots from the midrange to cut the lead to 2, scoring or assisting on every basket of a 7-0 run. A minute late, Rickea Jackson tied the game at 64 with a tough layup around her defender.

Aliyah Boston made a three that gave Phantom 69 points, so Bueckers and her teammates would have to get at least two straight baskets without Phantom scoring at all. The first chance to do so ended in a shot clock violation for Breeze, but Cam Brink got a stop on Boston. Paige Bueckers hit a tough shot over Kelsey Plum to bring the game to 69-68. But after a few offensive rebounds, Plum would end the game with a lefty layup.

Paige Bueckers finished the game with 23 points and 6 assists on an efficient 9/13 shooting, but she also turned it over four times, which was a tough pill to swallow. She was supported by Rickea Jackson scoring 20 points off the bench, Cam Brink putting up a near double-double off the bench with 13 points and 9 rebounds, and Dominique Malonga having a double-double with 10 points and 12 rebounds.

That wasn't enough to get over a balanced scoring effort from Phantom. Kelsey Plum led the way with 22 points, but she was closely followed by Aliyah Boston (18 points, 8 rebounds), Tiffany Hayes (15 points, 6 rebounds), and Kiki Iriafen (14 points).

Bueckers and Breeze will play Rose BC next on Sunday.

READ MORE: Wings Star Paige Bueckers Answers Burning Question UConn WBB Fans Have This Season

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