Napheesa Collier has believed in Paige Bueckers’ sport for years. On Wednesday evening, she watched the No. 1 general choose ship a poised, historic efficiency in entrance of a hometown crowd at Goal Heart.
Bueckers recorded her first WNBA double-double with 12 factors and 10 assists, including three steals within the Dallas Wings’ 85–81 loss to the undefeated Minnesota Lynx. She grew to become simply the third rookie in league historical past to submit not less than 10 factors and 10 assists inside her first three video games.
Paige Bueckers is the quickest participant in over a decade to file a sport with 10+ PTS & 10+ AST.
Simply her third profession sport
pic.twitter.com/hgL6xw2Q8I
— Actual Sports activities (@realapp_) Could 22, 2025
“I feel Paige goes to be actually good,” Collier advised Ballislife. “She’s a three-level scorer, nice passer. Rookie yr is tough, so I’d inform her there are going to be ups and downs. However she’s staying aggressive and that’s what she must do—lead her staff and reap the benefits of the chance. She’s going to play a number of minutes, and I’m excited for her.
Homecoming Ambiance Brings Out Minnesota’s Finest
Bueckers’ return to Goal Heart was greater than symbolic. She grew up in close by Edina, starred at Hopkins Excessive College in Minnetonka, and spent numerous nights watching the Lynx dynasty unfold in the identical enviornment the place she performed Wednesday evening.
“I’m at all times blissful to be again house,” Bueckers mentioned earlier than the sport. “I’m excited to play right here, however I’m much more excited simply to play the sport.”
Former UConn teammates Azzi Fudd and Aubrey Griffin had been in attendance. Fudd wore a T-shirt that includes Bueckers’ SLAM journal cowl whereas sitting with Bueckers’ mom, Amy Dettbarn.
“I really like Aubrey, that’s my pookie,” Bueckers mentioned of Griffin. “She’s been by means of a lot and to see her right here supporting me means the whole lot. We went by means of rather a lot collectively at UConn, and I’m simply so happy with her and blissful she’s right here.”
A number of former Hopkins and AAU teammates additionally attended.
“Simply to have [family and friends] right here means the whole lot to me,” Bueckers mentioned. “They’ve been an enormous a part of my story in getting right here. So having their help is gonna be superb.”
Earlier than turning professional, Bueckers helped Hopkins to a 130–6 file and the 2019 state championship. She was named 2020 Gatorade Nationwide Participant of the 12 months, Naismith Prep Participant of the 12 months and USA Basketball’s Feminine Athlete of the 12 months in 2019.
She then starred at UConn, changing into the primary freshman to win the Naismith Faculty Participant of the 12 months award and incomes a number of All-America honors regardless of important accidents. She completed her faculty profession averaging 13.7 factors, 4.7 rebounds, and 6.7 assists in 2024-25.
“Identical to I used to be as soon as that child trying as much as WNBA gamers and eager to be like them — that’s why you put on this jersey,” Bueckers mentioned. “It’s for those who got here earlier than and for the following technology.”
Years of Mutual Respect and Shared Historical past
Collier’s perception in Bueckers didn’t start with the WNBA. The 2 first teamed up on the 2019 World Seashore Video games in Doha, Qatar, as a part of the USA Basketball’s 3×3 senior nationwide staff.
Bueckers, then 17 and nonetheless in highschool and verbally dedicated to UConn, was the youngest participant on the roster and averaged 6.5 factors per sport. The expertise helped show not solely Bueckers’ potential as a basketball participant general, however confirmed Collier firsthand simply what she could possibly be in a 3-on-3 format.
Their connection continued to develop. In 2023, Collier co-founded UNRIVALED, a girls’s 3-on-3 offseason league that provides fairness and better salaries to WNBA gamers. With Bueckers solely rising in her profession, it made her an apparent expertise to recruit because the league continues to develop. Nonetheless at UConn on the time, she signed a three-year take care of the league.
“I imply, investments in girls’s sports activities — I really feel just like the return on funding has been superb,” Bueckers mentioned earlier this yr. “Even the primary yr [of Unrivaled], the numbers had been surprising. They simply blew it out of the water. And simply to speculate a lot in girls’s sports activities, it is rising at an all-time excessive, and it is simply a good time to be in girls’s sports activities.”
Studying Curve and Management in Early Season Progress
Regardless of the emotion of her return, Bueckers stayed centered on execution. She addressed the necessity for Dallas to scrub up its protection after Courtney Williams and Collier mixed for 59 factors within the season opener.
“I feel our protection on the purpose of assault, and Courtney Williams and Phee’s capability to actually get no matter they needed out of the choose and roll — so I feel we should be higher on the level of assault and making an attempt to congest the paint,” Bueckers mentioned earlier than the sport.
She additionally emphasised changes on the offensive finish.
“Simply attacking offensively, making an attempt to get extra in transition, making an attempt to get extra paint touches, making an attempt to get extra altering sides of the ground,” Bueckers mentioned. “However I feel Phee and Courtney actually killed us within the first sport, so making an attempt to scrub it up on that finish.”
She broke by means of with a second-quarter 3-pointer and assisted on two late-game buckets as Dallas closed inside two. Bueckers has elevated her help and steal totals in every of her three video games and continues to function Dallas’ lead playmaker.
“It’s loopy, the one which I made and those that I missed,” Bueckers mentioned after the sport. “However I am simply specializing in the following shot and simply making an attempt to contribute to successful, whether or not made or missed pictures, making an attempt to impression the sport in numerous methods.”
Wings head coach Chris Koclanes praised her poise and command.
“Simply making an attempt to determine how I can proceed to assist this staff, assist these gamers, and assist them really feel extra comfy,” Koclanes mentioned. “Persevering with to maneuver this factor alongside at an accelerated tempo.”
Bueckers acknowledged the second was particular, however remained grounded.
“To see all of the little ladies and other people within the stands and understand that was you about 10 or 15 years in the past — you by no means take it with no consideration how blessed you’re to have the ability to play on this league,” Bueckers mentioned.
The Wings could also be nonetheless looking for their first win, however their rookie level guard is already successful over the league’s stars—one possession at a time.
