Lynx Get Best of Wings in Paige Bueckers’ Minnesota Return

Minneapolis – shortly after their hometown fans were fired when their name was announced, the rookie Paige Bueckers was cold from Dallas Wings.

Although the former superstar of the Minnesota Preps had played several times in the high school and in college in the target center, she did not make her first basket against the lynx on Wednesday evening at the end of the first half.

“It’s crazy,” said Bueckers, who ended 3-against-11 shoots with 12 points and 10 assists in the 85-81 Wings loss. “The one I did and that I missed … that was crazy.”

The return from Bueckers to Minneapolis, only miles from where she acquired Gatorade National Player of the Year, and as a star on the nearby Hopkins High School won a state title at the Target Center Court, there was a significant news on site. The city of Hopkins changed its name to “Paige Bueckers, Minnes”. On Friday and a local ice cream parlor, she called a taste after her to celebrate her WNBA debut after her national title at Uconn.

But Bueckers said that the sum was not a distraction. Instead, she noticed that her approach to the Matchup on Wednesday was no different from her approach to another game. And it didn’t overshadow the goals of your team either.

“As a team, we talked about being only where our feet are and don’t really concentrate on exterior things, but what we want to be as an inner group and what we want to be as an organization,” said Bueckers. “So I get that it is really cool to come back home, and it’s a great experience, but what we try to build and what we want to do from game to game is more important.”

Throughout the game, Bueckers showed both the high-ranking skills they made in the WNBA design of 2025 as No. 1 and the growing pain in the experience of the league.

According to ESPN research, she was only the third player (Shoni Schimmel, Suzie McConnell), who produced a double double with points and templates within her first three games. She beat a pass to Nalyssa Smith early in competition, which accumulates a lead of 15: 5 in the first half. She also met a coupling 3 pointer to reduce Minnesota’s lead to seven points in the second half. But in the last minute there was also a ball when her team clung to the game again, fighting at night.

The Lynx left the door open for a comeback in Dallas, but her experience and the pure talent overwhelmed Bueckers, Arike Ogunbowale (21 points, five templates) and the Wings, a team that is still working on finding his identity in the middle of a start of 0: 3.

“I am proud of our efforts and our reaction and then only try to find out how I can continue to help this team, help these players and help them to feel more comfortable and continue to move this thing at an accelerated pace,” said Dallas coach Chris Koclanes.

While Bueckers emphasized that her return – one that seemed to overshadow the start of the home for a leek team, which narrowly lost to the New York Liberty in five games in last year – was no obstacle for her that the cheers and the scene in a building she knows were something special.

“They try to get everything in the right perspective and to see all the little girls and people in the stands and realize that they were exactly that … what, 10, 15 years ago,” she said. “And so they never take it for granted how blessed we can play in this league and play with this team in this organization. I am only very grateful, and they try that they play every time they play with passion and joy and heart. So take it and carry it with them wherever you go.”