“She’s Just a Great Person and Player”: Napheesa Collier Welcomes Paige Bueckers to the WNBA in Full-Circle Matchup
Opening night of the 2025 WNBA season brings a sold-out crowd, a marquee matchup, and a generational debut when the Dallas Wings and Minnesota Lynx face off against each other. However, the matchup extends beyond the hardwood.
Much attention is on Paige Bueckers, the No. 1 overall pick and newest face of the Dallas Wings, as she takes the court for her professional debut. Standing on the other side: Napheesa Collier, an MVP candidate, UConn icon, and one of the league’s most respected veterans.
“I’m really happy for Paige,” Collier said after shootaround. “I really, really like Paige—her family, the way she plays. She’s just a great person and player, so I’m really happy for her. I texted her like, ‘Good luck tonight. Don’t do too much against us—you wait till your next game.’ But yeah, I’m excited for her.”
MVP Favorite Meets Rookie of the Year Front-Runner
Collier enters the season as the consensus favorite for the 2025 WNBA MVP award after a dominant 2024 campaign. She averaged 20.4 points, 9.7 rebounds, 3.4 assists, 1.9 steals, and 1.4 blocks per game across 34 contests while leading the Minnesota Lynx to the WNBA Finals. Finishing second in MVP voting last year, she was voted the league’s preseason MVP pick in the WNBA GM survey and is expected to power Minnesota’s championship pursuit.
Conversely, Bueckers begins her career as the clear Rookie of the Year favorite. The former UConn standout posted 24.8 points, 4.0 rebounds, 3.3 assists, and 2.8 steals per game during the 2024–25 NCAA postseason, including a career-high 40 points in the Sweet 16. Her arrival in the WNBA has generated the kind of buzz typically reserved for All-Stars—and she’s already drawing high praise from the very players she grew up watching.
“First of all, her work ethic,” Collier told DallasHoopsJournal.com when asked what stands out about Bueckers. “And then I think the way that she’s already a three-way player. Midrange is probably the hardest to master, and she’s really good in the midrange. But especially as a point guard—being able to score at all levels and then her vision—it’s really impressive, especially for someone who hasn’t played professionally yet.”
A Full-Circle Debut for Paige Bueckers
Bueckers, who grew up in Hopkins, Minnesota, and idolized the Lynx dynasty, experienced an emotional night.
“It’s quite ironic. Life has a way of coming full circle, and God operates in mysterious ways,” Bueckers said. “Just being here in Dallas, embracing a new city, a new team, and a new organization, while starting off against the dynasty I idolized growing up—it truly feels like a full circle moment.”
The connection to her childhood team is profound. Her hometown even renamed itself “Paige Bueckers, Minnesota” for the day, honoring her debut and symbolizing the community’s pride in her achievement.
“I had enormous dreams and ambitions, but you can never really predict what you can achieve in life,” Bueckers added. “I put in a tremendous amount of effort to reach this point, and I had many wonderful people supporting me along the way. Growing up, watching the WNBA was my ultimate aspiration, so it’s pretty wild to be here now.”
Paige Bueckers & Napheesa Collier: From Husky to Pro
The mutual respect between Collier and Bueckers stems from more than just their shared collegiate legacy at UConn. They’ve trained together, competed in 3×3 events with Team USA, and now represent different phases of the league’s future—Collier as a franchise cornerstone and established star; Bueckers as the league’s next marketing and on-court phenom.
“She’s so talented,” Collier said. “She’s so unselfish in the way she plays. I don’t know if I could compare her to anyone that’s playing in today’s game.”
As the WNBA turns the page into a new season, its narrative is shaped by both the steady brilliance of veterans like Collier and the electric promise of newcomers like Bueckers. Friday night wasn’t just a debut—it was a convergence of past, present, and future.
With the torch already glowing, the league’s next era is off to a powerful start. Llier, the league is better for it.
More Dallas Wings Articles
- “Full-Circle Moment”: Paige Bueckers Makes WNBA Debut as Dallas Wings Host Minnesota Lynx in Sold-Out Opener
- Luisa Geiselsöder Eager for Dallas Wings After Long-Awaited WNBA Opportunity
- “It’s So Surreal”: Paige Bueckers Reacts to Hopkins Renaming Itself in Her Honor
- Dallas Makes Draft History as Mavericks, Wings Secure No. 1 Picks in Same Year
- “Just Trying to Grow Each Game”: Paige Bueckers Embraces Point Guard Role for Dallas Wings
- “There Was Never a Doubt”: Paige Bueckers Fully Commits to Dallas Wings Rebuild Ahead of WNBA Debut
- “I Would Like to See Kyrie at a Game”: Paige Bueckers Hopes to Share Dallas Stage With Kyrie Irving
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