“We’re Trying to Build Something”: Paige Bueckers Returns to Connecticut as Dallas Wings Seek First Win
Paige Bueckers returns to Connecticut on Tuesday night as a professional for the first time, stepping into Mohegan Sun Arena no longer as the face of UConn basketball, but as the rookie point guard leading the Dallas Wings through a defining rebuild. The venue is familiar, but the mission is different — and far more uncertain.
The Wings (0–4) will look to snap a 13-game losing streak dating back to last season when they face the also-winless Connecticut Sun (0–4) in a battle between two teams undergoing early-season overhauls. For Bueckers, who never lost at Mohegan Sun as a collegian and helped capture four Big East Tournament titles, the moment is personal.
“It’ll be weird stepping on the court, I think, not in a UConn uniform,” Bueckers said. “But it’ll be something that I’ll enjoy — a new experience, a new team, a new organization. And so it’s just like another step in the new journey, and I’ll definitely enjoy being back here in the state I love so much.”
Late Push Falls Short in Atlanta
Dallas nearly clawed back on Saturday in Atlanta, outscoring the Dream by 10 in the fourth quarter after trailing by as many as 20. A 13–0 run to open the final period gave the Wings a chance, but a cold third quarter and hot shooting from Atlanta’s Allisha Gray and Brittney Griner proved too much to overcome in an 83–75 loss.
NaLyssa Smith and Maddy Siegrist combined for 25 points, while Tyasha Harris and Kaila Charles sparked the late run off the bench with 15 fourth-quarter points between them.
“There are moments where it could go either way, and every single time, this group chooses to fight,” head coach Chris Koclanes said. “That tells me they have something inside them that you can get behind.”
The Dream defense contained Dallas’ backcourt effectively, forcing the Wings to rely on bench production in the final frame. Bueckers scored 11 points and dished out five assists, but was just 4-of-15 from the field and sat most of the fourth quarter. Arike Ogunbowale, who is coming off a season averaging 22.2 points per game, was held to five points on 2-of-10 shooting.
As the Wings continue to establish continuity offensively, Bueckers is still seeking to regain her impressive efficiency levels from her UConn tenure, shooting 34.0% from the floor and 33.3% from beyond the arc. Meanwhile, Ogunbowale is averaging 12.5 points while shooting 28.6% from the floor and 21.4% from deep on the season.
Even in defeat, the Wings showed what’s become their most consistent trait: they keep battling. But effort alone won’t close the gap until the team executes more consistently.
“Just learning how to play with each other more — learning our tendencies, where we like the ball, sharing more, getting into gaps, and just taking the best shot available,” Bueckers said. “Getting out in transition, creating easy buckets that way, and trying to limit turnovers as much as possible.”
Paige Bueckers Embracing the Learning Curve
Four games into her pro career, Bueckers leads the Wings in points (13.0), assists (6.3), and steals (1.8) per game. But the transition to point guard at the WNBA level has come with challenges, particularly as she works to organize an inexperienced roster on the fly.
“I can do a better job of getting our team organized just in transition and what we want our flow to look like,” Bueckers said. “Getting into first actions, and if we don’t get something in the first action, creating looks into second action. Getting a better flow and sense of where everybody needs to be. We’re all learning and we’re all learning each other’s tendencies, where we like the ball, where to go after a cut, and stuff like that.”
Her role extends well beyond scoring or facilitating. With the Wings lacking continuity and still adjusting to Koclanes’ system, Bueckers is tasked with helping everyone get on the same page — something she admits is a work in progress. Even while navigating that learning curve, she’s trying to set the tone with her voice and presence — something her coach has taken note of.
“Every game she plays, and we’re in similar actions, so now again, she’s in similar spacing, in similar actions,” Koclanes said. “The more repetitions you get, the more comfortable you are in making those reads. And to her credit, she just has an ability, when things break down, to go make plays and continue to read and react.”
Bueckers and Koclanes had an extensive film watching session after Tuesday’s morning shootaround at Mohegan Sun Arena. There is a clear motivation for Bueckers to find a rhythm and get a first win.
Seeking Growth, Not Expectations
The Wings have only three returners from last season and no player over the age of 29. Four rookies are on the roster, and defensive lapses have plagued them through four games — Dallas is allowing 86.5 points per game, second-most in the league.
“Myisha has been a good presence, a solid veteran presence, and a good voice — a lighthearted voice, yet a stern one,” Koclanes said. “Paige, as a rookie, is finding her spots and opportunities to be in front of the team as a whole. But even more so, individually behind the scenes, being who she is and doing what she does to get everyone on the same page.”
For Bueckers, the key to navigating this start isn’t to panic, but to keep perspective. She’s focused on small gains — day by day, possession by possession.
“We’re not setting expectations for ourselves, just taking it day by day,” Bueckers said. “Stay optimistic, stay positive, don’t let the last game affect the next game. Learn from the past and have it motivate you to be better.”
That mindset is echoed by NaLyssa Smith, one of the few returning players from last year’s roster. She sees a group still trying to connect the dots, but not discouraged.
“We just need to put a few more pieces together,” Smith said. “But I think it’ll all work out. We’ve got 40 games left — no need to panic.”
Veteran forward Myisha Hines-Allen, who had been listed as questionable with an ankle injury, was upgraded to available on Tuesday and will remain in the starting lineup. The return of her physicality and communication could help stabilize the team’s interior defense and rebounding, two areas where Dallas has struggled.
For Bueckers, there’s hope that the return to familiar territory can serve as a launch point for change. But she isn’t leaning on nostalgia. Her focus is on leadership, growth, and finding the blueprint for the team she’s been asked to guide.
Tipoff between the Wings and Sun is scheduled for 6 p.m. CT at Mohegan Sun Arena. The game will air locally on KFAA 29 and stream nationally on WNBA League Pass.
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