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Wings should feel fine despite their 0-2 start to WNBA season
Dallas Wings guard Paige Bueckers (5) looks on during the first half against the Seattle Storm at College Park Center. Jerome Miron-Imagn Images

Wings should feel fine despite their 0-2 start to WNBA season

By Eric Smithling  |  Last updated May 19, 2025 11:01 PM ET

The Dallas Wings fell to 0-2 on Monday, yet they should feel anything but down. Because after Paige Bueckers' strong game, brighter days are on the horizon.

In Monday's 79-71 loss to the Seattle Storm, the No. 1 overall pick of April's WNBA Draft led the Wings with 19 points on 7-of-14 shooting. She added eight assists, five rebounds, two steals and a block.

According to Across the Timeline, Bueckers became just the third player in WNBA history with at least 20 points, 10 assists and 10 rebounds in her first two games, joining retired all-time great Candace Parker and New York Liberty guard Sabrina Ionescu.

Bueckers already looks comfortable.

Here she is scoring off the dribble, launching a jump shot over 14-year veteran 6-foot-2 Storm forward Nneka Ogwumike.

She also had nice off-ball movement, getting open late in the first quarter for a 29-foot three-point field goal, her first WNBA make from beyond the arc.

Bueckers received an important co-sign during the second quarter from Dallas Mavericks legend Dirk Nowitzki.

While being interviewed, Nowitzki said, "You already can see now she's got more comfortable out there from Game 1, so she's gonna be tremendous for this organization for a long time."

Buckers is coming off a national championship win at UConn on April 6. The three-time Associated Press All-American averaged 19.9 points, 4.6 assists, 4.4 rebounds and 2.1 steals per game during her senior season while shooting 53.4%, including 41.9% on 4.4 three-point attempts per game.

The Wings haven't found success on the court through their first two games, but that's secondary to their rookie's strong start. 

Buckers is as good as advertised. It won't take long until her talent translates to wins.

Eric Smithling
Twitter/X Muck Rack

Eric Smithling is a writer based in New Orleans, LA, whose byline also appears on Athlon Sports. He has been with Yardbarker since September 2022, primarily covering the NFL and college football, but also the NBA, WNBA, men’s and women’s college basketball, NHL, tennis and golf. He holds a film studies degree from the University of New Orleans

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