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Paige Bueckers was back in action on Friday night for Breeze BC in Unrivaled play, as the WNBA’s Rookie of the Year faced her runner-up, Sonia Citron, and Hive BC. This was a chance for Breeze to solidify itself as a contender and separate itself from the pack. Instead, they fell back to the middle, losing to Hive in a close battle, 70-68.
Breeze led nearly the entire first half, going up by as much as 12 at halftime and by 15 early in the third quarter. But as quickly as they built that lead, it fell apart even faster.
A bucket by Rickea Jackson put them up 46-31 to start the third, but Hive came back on a 14-0 run to get back within one. Breeze finally started scoring again after that, but they were still outscored 27-16 in the third. That gave us a real battle in the fourth.
Paige Bueckers with 20+ PTS in 7 straight games🔥
🏀Feb 6 vs Hive: 28 PTS🏀Feb 1 vs Rose: 32 PTS🏀Jan 30 vs Phantom: 23 PTS🏀Jan 26 vs Laces: 22 PTS🏀Jan 24 vs Lunar Owls: 28 PTS🏀Jan 19 vs Mist: 37 PTS🏀Jan 17 vs Vinyl: 25 PTS pic.twitter.com/xkG0RZTj98
— Just Women’s Sports (@justwsports) February 7, 2026
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No team led by more than two points in the fourth quarter. Kelsey Mitchell for Hive had the biggest impact, scoring six points in the quarter. Paige Bueckers had a couple of assists and even scored a basket, but it wasn’t enough to carry Breeze across the finish line. Sonia Citron would hit her only basket of the fourth, which happened to be the game-winner, sending Breeze home with a loss.
Paige Bueckers had a great game, producing 28 points, 7 rebounds, and 5 assists on 13/23 shooting. She scored 13 of Breeze’s 16 points in the third quarter, which is the only reason they didn’t fall apart sooner. But her teammates were a little lackluster in this one.
Rickea Jackson had 15 points and 11 rebounds, but she shot just 5/13 from the floor. Dominique Malonga wasn’t nearly as impactful as we’ve come to see from her, having just 8 points and 7 rebounds. Kate Martin was at least good off the bench with 11 points, but that wasn’t enough to get over Hive.
Kelsey Mitchell led the way on the other end with 22 points, shooting 10/19 from the floor. The big story was probably Monique Billings, who had a wild 15-point, 17-rebound performance, which included 2 steals and 2 blocks. Citron was no slouch either, with 17 points and 4 assists.
Bueckers and Breeze BC are now 5-5 on the season and won’t play again until the 17th against the Lunar Owls.
READ MORE: Wings Star Paige Bueckers’ Girlfriend Projected as No. 1 Pick
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