Paige Bueckers walked into Mohegan Solar Enviornment on Tuesday evening with acquainted sights, sounds, and stakes. However this time, it wasn’t as UConn’s star guard. It was as a professional, making an attempt to assist a winless Dallas Wings squad discover its first victory of the season. She delivered.
Bueckers scored a career-high 21 factors on 80 p.c capturing to associate with seven assists, 5 rebounds, two steals, and a block in Dallas’ 109–87 win over the Connecticut Solar — the group’s first win of 2025, enhancing to 1-4 via 5 video games.
“It felt nice,” Bueckers stated after the sport. “Simply to play like that as a group—and clearly that atmosphere is particular to me—however to have the ability to play like that as a group and put a full 40 minutes collectively and are available out with a win and keep related all through your complete recreation… it felt good to be on the market.”
Paige Bueckers: “I Don’t Assume I’ve Ever Misplaced Right here”
The return marked Bueckers’ first skilled recreation in Connecticut, and he or she stayed unbeaten at Mohegan Solar Enviornment — one of many venues the place she constructed a legacy as the most effective gamers in UConn historical past. Her consolation was apparent from the opening tip. She scored seven factors and dished out 4 assists within the first quarter alone, serving to the Wings construct early momentum.
“Truthfully, I don’t actually give it some thought,” Bueckers stated with a smile. “I don’t assume I’ve ever misplaced right here, so I attempted to hold that into tonight.”
The second was symbolic — a convergence of previous and current, nostalgia and subsequent steps. Returning to a fitness center that had as soon as been the middle of her collegiate stardom, Bueckers appeared each bit like a rising WNBA star. She showcased a mature poise as some extent guard, orchestrating units with composure and confidence, and located teammates in rhythm whereas controlling the tempo all through.
It was removed from a solo efficiency. With associates, household, and former Huskies teammates like Ice Brady, Caroline Ducharme, and Jana El Alfy within the stands — and followers sporting a mixture of UConn and Wings jerseys — the evening had a celebratory tone. However Bueckers remained locked in on the duty at hand.
“Simply taking what the protection was giving me,” Bueckers defined. “My teammates did an excellent job at setting screens, getting me open, creating rhythm and circulation, and letting me get to my spots.”
The UConn assist has prolonged properly past simply Bueckers’ return to Connecticut. A number of members of the 2025 nationwide championship group have adopted her rookie season intently, exhibiting up in a number of cities. Okay.Okay. Arnold was noticed at a number of Wings house video games in Arlington, proudly sporting Bueckers’ No. 5 jersey. Azzi Fudd attended Dallas’ matchup towards her hometown group, the Minnesota Lynx, and later joined Bueckers once more in Atlanta for the Wings’ recreation towards the Dream.
Dallas Wings Present Main Progress
Dallas had struggled to shut video games in its first 4 contests. However on Tuesday, the Wings set season-highs throughout the board — capturing 56.1 p.c from the sector, doling out 26 assists, recording 10 steals, and posting a +8 rebounding margin — and bought contributions from 11 completely different scorers of their most full efficiency but.
“I feel I’ll keep in mind essentially the most most likely the 26 assists on 37 made pictures, and the way we performed collectively as a group,” Bueckers stated. “How unselfish we have been, and the way a lot we appeared like a group. That mirrored within the numbers.”
It was an evening of milestones for the rookie guard as properly. Bueckers grew to become the quickest participant in WNBA historical past to report at the very least 60 factors and 30 assists in her first 5 video games, passing Suzie McConnell-Serio’s earlier mark. She additionally grew to become the primary rookie ever to submit a 20-5-5-2 stat line whereas capturing 80 p.c or higher from the ground.
“There’s undoubtedly stuff we have to enhance and clear up on,” she added. “However to place it collectively like that — it felt good to be on the market.”
The efficiency wasn’t simply environment friendly — it was dynamic. Bueckers dominated in mid-range, turned the nook on ball screens with ease, and located reducing teammates in stride. Her potential to toggle between scoring and facilitating with such steadiness gave Dallas a wanted edge and energized a group that had usually appeared disjointed in earlier video games.
A Night time of UConn Connections
Along with the followers and former teammates within the stands, Bueckers additionally shared the court docket with two former Huskies in opposing uniforms — Tina Charles and Olivia Nelson-Ododa. Charles led the Solar with 27 factors, whereas Nelson-Ododa performed 13 minutes off the bench.
At one level throughout a free throw, Bueckers stated she and Nelson-Ododa briefly forgot they have been on reverse groups. Bueckers and Nelson-Ododa performed collectively for 2 seasons, from 2020 to 2022.
“On the free-throw line, I went to fill a spot and Liv caught her hand out to high-five — simply muscle reminiscence,” Bueckers stated. “We laughed. To have the ability to share the ground with them after every thing we’ve completed — particularly with Liv — it’s like enjoying with my sister.”
When requested about her shock company within the crowd, Bueckers beamed.
“They’re nice — I really like them,” Bueckers stated. “Simply to have their assist means every thing. They’re an enormous a part of my story and me even attending to this stage of my profession. I really like them to items.”
Dallas Wings Search Sturdy Near Street Journey
Tuesday’s win felt like a much-needed turning level. The Wings lastly noticed their exhausting work and changes translate into outcomes. Koclanes had burdened the significance of “related offense” from day one among coaching camp — and Tuesday, the imaginative and prescient took form.
“That’s been our theme since coaching camp,” Koclanes stated. “It’s not about who will get the shot — it’s concerning the high quality of the shot. Can we belief the go? Can we belief the following motion? Once we do this, good issues occur. Tonight was an instance of that coming collectively.”
For Bueckers, who had referred to as for extra self-discipline, ball motion, and rhythm after Saturday’s loss in Atlanta, it was satisfying to see her phrases flip into execution.
“Get extra motion, get out in transition, create extra spacing for one another,” Bueckers stated. “For me, calling extra offensive units, get right into a rhythm, we’re all nonetheless studying one another… and simply sticking to our course of.”
That course of now heads to Chicago, the place the Wings will face the Sky on Thursday evening at Wintrust Enviornment. Tipoff is scheduled for 7 p.m. CT. With the momentum from Tuesday’s win — and Bueckers’ continued emergence as a go-to possibility — Dallas will look to construct consistency and discover footing within the early weeks of the season.
