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WNBA Had Four Words Before Paige Bueckers' Debut With Dallas Wings

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Rodney Knuppel | Last updated May 2, 2025 7:40 PM ET

Paige Bueckers has been a basketball sensation since her days growing up in St. Louis Park, Minnesota. She played on the 10th-grade team as a seventh-grader and dominated for most of her high school career.

Fans knew even then that she was destined to play professional basketball.

Bueckers signed with Geno Auriemma and the UConn Huskies and had an electrifying college career, capped off with an NCAA Tournament title.

Now, the moment basketball fans across the country have been waiting for is finally here. Bueckers will step onto the court for her first professional basketball game. And the WNBA had four simple words to celebrate her debut: "The wait is over."

Bueckers, the No. 1 overall pick in the 2025 WNBA Draft, will take the floor Friday with her new team, the Dallas Wings, as they face off against the Las Vegas Aces.

Bueckers spent four seasons with the Huskies. Her junior year was her most dominant, when she averaged 21.9 points and 5.2 rebounds per game. Over the course of her college career, she appeared in 123 games and became one of the most recognized names in women’s basketball.

The Wings are led by new head coach Chris Koclanes. He returns to the WNBA after spending two seasons as an assistant with the USC Trojans, where he coached standout guard JuJu Watkins. Before that, he was on staff with the Connecticut Sun from 2016-22.

Dallas is coming off a 9-31 season and was led in scoring by Arike Ogunbowale, who poured in 22.2 points per game. Now, she’ll be joined by Bueckers in what could be one of the most exciting backcourts in the league.

Bueckers and the Wings will play in front of the home fans for the first time May 10, and then the 2025 regular season officially tips off on May 16, with Dallas hosting the Minnesota Lynx.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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