untitled-design-2025-05-16t194919-718.png
Getty Images

Less than a minute into the Dallas Wings' 99-84 opening night loss to the Minnesota Lynx, Paige Bueckers drove into the lane and put up a runner. It didn't go down, but she stuck with it and grabbed the offensive rebound in traffic. Her putback a few seconds later hit the glass and nestled into the net. 

So began the No. 1 overall pick's professional career. 

Hailey Van Lith injury update: Sky rookie upgraded to probable for season opener vs. Fever, Caitlin Clark
Jack Maloney
Hailey Van Lith injury update: Sky rookie upgraded to probable for season opener vs. Fever, Caitlin Clark

While the result was not what Bueckers or the Wings would have hoped for, her debut was an exciting moment for the team and the league. Bueckers finished with 10 points, seven rebounds and two assists on 3-of-10 shooting from the field in 30 minutes of action. 

"Room to grow, you gotta have a starting point, you've gotta have a foundation to build on," Bueckers said. "We don't want to overreact to the loss, but we also know there's a lot of things we have to clean up and get better at."

After winning the Naismith Player of the Year award as a freshman, Bueckers' college career was derailed by injuries, including a torn ACL that cost her the entire 2022-23 season. She has been healthy since then, however, and last season she led UConn to their first national championship since 2016. 

Thanks to her unique combination of offensive skills, size on the perimeter and underrated defensive capabilities, Bueckers is one of the best prospects to enter the league in recent years. Her ability to play on- or off-the-ball also makes it easy for her to slot into the backcourt alongside Arike Ogunbowale. 

Friday's defeat made it clear that it's going to take some time for Bueckers to adjust to the professional level, and for the Wings to meld all of their new pieces together into a cohesive unit. At the same time, there were a number of positive signs, particularly in the first half, that showed why there's so much excitement for the future in Dallas. 

"It's a learning process," first-year Wings coach Chris Koclanes said. "Ultimately, I'm encouraged. I like our group, I like our staff, I like our camaraderie and just our general demeanor and work ethic. I'm just encouraged that this group is going to learn and continue to improve and improve."