2 weeks ago
5
play
Paige Bueckers drops 10 points successful WNBA debut nonaccomplishment vs. Lynx (2:22)
Despite falling to the Lynx, Paige Bueckers drops 10 points and 7 rebounds successful her WNBA debut for the WIngs. (2:22)
Dave WilsonMay 16, 2025, 11:41 PM ET
- Dave Wilson is simply a assemblage shot reporter. He antecedently worked astatine The Dallas Morning News, San Diego Union-Tribune and Las Vegas Sun.
ARLINGTON, Texas -- In a play opener pitting erstwhile UConn stars with monolithic expectations against 1 another, Napheesa Collier scored 34 points to outshine the WNBA debut of Paige Bueckers, who had 10 points successful the Minnesota Lynx's 99-84 triumph implicit the Dallas Wings connected Friday night.
Collier tied the Lynx grounds for astir points successful a play opener. Courtney Williams added 25 points and 9 assists successful the win.
An aboriginal MVP candidate, Collier said she's much funny successful getting the Lynx, who mislaid successful the WNBA Finals to the New York Liberty past season, implicit the hump.
"I'm honestly focused connected much than MVP," she said. "I privation america to triumph a title this year, truthful that's what I'm focused on. The awards travel aft that. ... I privation to spot a championship."
Bueckers said she and Collier had "good ol' affable UConn chat" astatine times connected the court, adding that the 2 had a narration from the Huskies transportation arsenic good arsenic playing unneurotic with USA Basketball.
"It's highly amusive to play against Phee. She's conscionable the eventual rival and she brings retired the champion successful you due to the fact that she's 1 of the champion successful the league," Bueckers said. "To beryllium connected the different broadside and privation to bushed each different is fun, arsenic well. I deliberation that's the eventual motion of respect."
Collier scored 18 points successful the 3rd quarter, blowing unfastened a choky crippled and giving the Lynx a 15-point pb aft 3 arsenic the Wings gave mode to fatigue.
Bueckers said she doesn't get excessively precocious oregon excessively low, saying she was blessed to get her archetypal WNBA crippled nether her belt.
"You've got to person a starting point," the No. 1 wide prime said. "You've got to person a instauration to physique on. So we don't privation to overreact to the loss, but we besides cognize there's a batch of things you person to cleanable up and get amended at."
The 2 stars volition get different changeable against each different Wednesday, erstwhile the Wings question to Minneapolis, astir 10 miles from Buecker's hometown of Hopkins. Despite the hometown squad facing her, Hopkins changed its sanction to "Paige Bueckers, Minnesota" connected Friday successful grant of her pro debut.
