“This Is a Starting Foundation”: Paige Bueckers Debuts, Dallas Wings Fall to Minnesota Lynx in Season Opener
Napheesa Collier scored 34 points to spoil the WNBA debut of fellow UConn alum Paige Bueckers and lead the Minnesota Lynx to a 99-84 victory over the Dallas Wings in Friday night’s season opener at College Park Center.
The nationally televised matchup marked the beginning of a new era in Dallas, with Bueckers headlining a drastically overhauled Wings roster following a 9–31 campaign last year. Despite moments of promise and stretches of competitiveness, the Wings couldn’t withstand a dominant third-quarter performance from the reigning Western Conference champions.
“Room to grow,” Bueckers said. “You gotta have a starting point, so you gotta have a foundation to build on. 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. So just starting it off, starting this journey, and then continue to build on it the next day we practice.”
Paige Bueckers Steps Onto the WNBA Stage
The game was billed as Bueckers’ arrival into the professional ranks, and the moment did not disappoint. The No. 1 overall pick played 30 minutes—more than any Dallas starter—and finished with 10 points, a team-high seven rebounds, two assists, and one steal.
“It was fun. It was competitive. They’re a really, really good team, a championship-level team, as you saw their finish last year,” Bueckers said. “And again, like I said before, now we have a building block to continue to build off of. And I mean, we liked a lot of things and we disliked some things, so to continue to build on the things that we liked and clean up the things that we didn’t—look forward to that.”
Bueckers opened the Wings’ season scoring with a sequence emblematic of her scrappy, cerebral game: driving the lane, missing the initial shot, then grabbing her own rebound for a putback layup.
“The first one’s always the hardest, usually,” Bueckers said. “Not to say that it won’t get harder, but just being able to have a starting point, like I said, and then continue to build off that. Then there’s no more questions about what is it going to be like for your first WNBA game. Now we can move on past that. But there’s a long season, a lot of games, and so yeah, to get the first one under means that we got a lot more left to go.”
Bueckers showed flashes of the all-around impact that made her a generational college talent. In the second half, she found DiJonai Carrington for a go-ahead three and routinely fought through physical defense, including a stretch guarding Collier in the post.
“The fours are a lot bigger than the ones I had to guard in college,” Bueckers said. “There’s a level of physicality and a shorter shot clock—so it’s about getting into our actions quicker.”
Her father, Bob Bueckers, was visibly emotional during warmups. Cameras caught him holding back tears while watching his daughter fulfill a lifelong dream.
Dallas Wings Battle in Front of Sellout Crowd
The Wings opened with a new-look starting five of Bueckers, Ogunbowale, Carrington, Myisha Hines-Allen, and NaLyssa Smith. After trailing by as many as seven early, Dallas used a 12-4 run to close the first quarter and take a 21-19 lead. Tyasha Harris provided an immediate lift off the bench, scoring five points in the final two minutes, including a three-pointer to tie the game and a jumper to take the lead.
“Ty brings another leader, a sense of calm,” Koclanes said. “It allows us to move Paige off the ball at times and relieves some pressure. Defensively, she’s physical, smart, and makes everyone better around her. We’re grateful to have her back.”
Dallas held Minnesota to just four points after the 3:54 mark of the opening quarter and outscored the Lynx in the paint (12-8), second-chance points (6-2), and fast break points (6-2).
The second quarter featured 11 ties and seven lead changes, with Hines-Allen briefly putting Dallas ahead 28-24 after her personal 5-0 scoring burst. Carrington’s energy helped close the half on a high note. After Ogunbowale’s free throws tied the game at 46, Carrington stole the inbound pass and found Maddy Siegrist for a buzzer-beating layup. The momentum shifted significantly after the break.
“We showed some resolve in the first half, had some good responses. In the third, I thought fatigue may have set in,” Koclanes said. “Once they got a little distance, we started to doubt, and the slide continued. We couldn’t recover. It’s a growth opportunity for all of us. Lineups, chemistry—it’ll get better.”
Napheesa Collier’s Third-Quarter Barrage Breaks Game Open
Minnesota came out of the locker room with a purpose, launching an 18-5 run to seize control of the game. Collier scored 18 of her 34 points in the third quarter alone, working in tandem with Courtney Williams, who poured in 15 points in the frame. The Lynx stretched their lead to 71-58 and never looked back.
“There’s a reason she’s an MVP candidate,” Koclanes said. “She’s just tough in so many different ways. I mean, I thought she got off to a somewhat slow start, and then all of a sudden, you look up and she’s got what she has. She does it with her motor, right? She just scores in a variety of ways and just is an elite player. And what I’m looking forward to is we get to play them again in another day. So right away it kind of feels like, watch the film, make an adjustment, and see how you can improve right away against them. So looking forward to seeing them again really soon.”
Carrington, one of the Wings’ vocal leaders and defensive anchors, acknowledged the shift in momentum and pointed to multiple factors that contributed to the team’s second-half slide, including defensive breakdowns and Minnesota’s ability to raise its level.
“What changed? I think they made adjustments,” Carrington said. “It could be fatigue. I don’t know. I gotta go watch the film too. I just think they stepped it up a level, and we stayed the same. In this league, everyone’s too good for that. So we just have to be more locked in, more focused. We blew a lot of coverages and gave them a lot of open shots, honestly. We’ll figure it out, though. Like he says, never too high, never too low. But it’s the first game. New team. They have a lot of returners. We’re figuring it out—and I think we will. So I’m excited still.”
Kaila Charles, JJ Quinerly Provide Fourth-Quarter Spark
With the game essentially decided, Dallas continued to fight. Kaila Charles delivered a strong fourth-quarter performance, scoring eight points on 3-of-3 shooting and tying her career-high with three steals. Rookie guard JJ Quinerly added her first WNBA basket on an eight-foot jumper.
Dallas won the battle in hustle categories—points in the paint (40-38), second chance points (15-7), and fast break points (21-8)—but couldn’t make up the deficit generated by Minnesota’s dominant third quarter.
“You saw it in spurts. We did a great job of staying together. Even when we got down, we were still talking to each other on the court, on the bench, and whenever we could huddle together—like one stop, we’re still in it, three possessions, whatever,” Carrington said. “I like that, especially from a young team. It’s easy to kind of just start to go your own way and think, ‘I gotta do it by myself,’ or throw in the towel. But we didn’t do that, and I’m proud of us for that.”
A New Era Underway in Dallas
The loss came amid significant organizational change. Only three players returned from last season’s team. Curt Miller, hired as executive vice president and general manager, oversaw a complete overhaul, including a new coaching staff and major roster moves.
“I’m just encouraged. I like our group. I like our group of players. I love our staff. I like our camaraderie and just our general demeanor and work ethic,” Koclanes said. “So I’m just encouraged that this group is going to learn and continue to improve.”
“We have lots of options and lots of really good players,” he added. “The tough part as a coach is finding opportunities for everybody. Not everyone’s going to be happy all the time, but I’ve got to figure out who works well together and push those right buttons.”
UConn Roots and USA Bond: Bueckers vs. Collier
Beyond the stats and the spotlight, Friday’s matchup carried deeper meaning for Bueckers and Collier, who share UConn lineage and a Team USA bond. The two played together on USA Basketball’s 3×3 national team, building a close relationship rooted in competition and mutual respect.
They brought that intensity into their WNBA showdown on opposite sides of the court. Early in the game, Bueckers found herself defending Collier in the post. A foul was called, and as play resumed, the two shared a smile and brief exchange at the free-throw line.
“It’s extremely fun to play against Phee. She’s just the ultimate competitor, and she brings out the best in you, because she’s one of the best in the league,” Bueckers said. “And we’ve had a relationship. We played together with USA Basketball. So to be on the other side and want to beat each other—it’s fun as well. I think that’s the ultimate sign of respect. And then just to go to a good old UConn-friendly chat.”
Looking Ahead
The Wings (0–1) will return to action Monday, May 19, when they host the Seattle Storm (0–1) at College Park Center. Tipoff is scheduled for 7:00 p.m. CT on KFAA and NBATV.
“You get to the point where you’ve reached your dreams and then you want to take off with it and see what you can do with it,” Bueckers said. “Just getting to the dream is not enough. So continue to build on that. Like I talked about before, this is a starting foundation, and we’ll get back at practice and continue to build off that the next day.”
More Dallas Wings Articles
- “She’s Just a Great Person and Player”: Napheesa Collier Welcomes Paige Bueckers to the WNBA in Full-Circle Matchup
- “Full-Circle Moment”: Paige Bueckers Makes WNBA Debut as Dallas Wings Host Minnesota Lynx in Sold-Out Opener
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