'It Means Everything': Paige Bueckers Returns Home for First WNBA Game Against Minnesota Lynx

While she hasn’t spoken recently with Lynx head coach Cheryl Reeve or former Minnesota stars like Lindsay Whalen, Bueckers said they always supported her.

“I know I can always reach out,” Bueckers emphasized. “Not during competition, of course, but during the offseason — they’ve always been willing to talk and offer advice.”

Playing in Front of Her People

Bueckers expects a strong turnout of family and friends for Tuesday’s game, with many former teammates from Hopkins and her AAU days planning to attend.

“I have a lot of family — my aunts, uncles, cousins, grandparents — and then a lot of my former teammates from Hopkins and my AAU teams coming out to support,” Bueckers said. “Just to have them here means everything to me, just ’cause they’ve been a huge part of my story in getting here. So having their support is gonna be amazing.”

A Hopkins native and Hopkins High School legend, Paige Bueckers returns to the same hardwood where she first made headlines as a teenager. Before she won the Wooden Award and led UConn to the 2025 national championship game, Bueckers led Hopkins to the 2019 state championship and was named the 2020 Gatorade National Player of the Year. Widely regarded as the top high school player in the country, she went on to star at UConn, where she won the Wooden Award as a freshman in 2021 and earned three first-team All-America selections.

Dallas selected her No. 1 overall in April 2025, just weeks after she led UConn to the NCAA title game. However, her legacy extends beyond basketball for the 19,000 residents of Hopkins. During high school, she helped start and support a community food market in Hopkins, which she continues to support through donations and local involvement. Her commitment to the community is a significant reason the town takes pride in her achievements and wants to honor what she represents on and off the court.

For Bueckers, playing in front of family, friends, and the next generation of Minnesota hoopers is more than a homecoming, celebrating the state’s basketball tradition.

She also acknowledged the symbolic significance of playing in front of younger players from Minnesota, many of whom grew up watching her rise through the ranks.

“Just like I was once that kid looking up to WNBA players and wanting to be like them — that’s why you wear this jersey,” Bueckers recalled. “It’s for the ones who came before and for the next generation. To show young girls and anyone in the stands that it’s possible to get here through hard work, determination, and faith — that’s really special.”

Representing Minnesota

Though Minnesota is often labeled the “State of Hockey,” Bueckers believes basketball deserves its place in the spotlight.

“I think it’s a basketball state — maybe not as much as hockey — but it’s up there,” Bueckers said. “The continued success and talent coming out of Minnesota is high level. I credit that to the winters being so cold that you don’t want to be anywhere but inside a gym.”

She pointed to the Lynx’s success, the growing momentum of youth and college basketball, and the Timberwolves’ resurgence behind Anthony Edwards as the team enters a second consecutive Western Conference Finals series as key parts of the state’s basketball identity.

“It’s a great time to be part of Minnesota basketball,” she added.

Tuesday’s game won’t be the first time Bueckers has played on the Target Center floor, but it will carry a different meaning.

“First pro game back here in Minnesota… to play at all three levels here is really cool,” Bueckers explained, referencing her past appearances at the high school state tournament and the NCAA Final Four.

Despite the fast pace of her rookie season, she’s focused on enjoying every stop, whether it’s her first game back at home in Minnesota or looking forward to playing in Connecticut again. She has cherished every day in a schedule full of first-time experiences.

“I try to enjoy every single moment. This one’s a little sweeter because it’s back home,” Bueckers said. “But even if it were in Las Vegas or Connecticut or Seattle — it would still be special. I want to enjoy every moment with the team. Road trips are fun, and I never want to take any of these opportunities for granted.”

If time allows, she may even hit some of her favorite hometown food spots.

“Bruegger’s Bagels is actually my spot,” Bueckers revealed. “Noodles & Company, Jimmy John’s, Leeann Chin — they might not be Minnesota staples to everybody, but they are to me.”

Focused on Leading the Dallas Wings

While the homecoming is special, Bueckers and the Wings also focus on avenging their season-opening 99-84 loss to the Lynx. Despite entering halftime tied at 46, Dallas was blitzed in the third quarter, outscored 35-20 as Napheesa Collier poured in 18 of her 34 points and Courtney Williams added 15. Minnesota shot 68.4% in the period, breaking the game open with a flurry of midrange jumpers, transition finishes, and crisp ball movement out of the pick-and-roll.

” I think our defense on the point of attack, and Courtney Williams and Phee’s ability to really get whatever they wanted out of the pick and roll — so I think we need to be better at the point of attack and trying to congest the paint and not let so many easy touches, paint touches in there where they get out and spray and make the extra pass and get great movement on offense,” Bueckers told DallasHoopsJournal.com.

“And then just attacking offensively, I know just trying to get more in transition, trying to get more paint touches, trying to get more changing sides of the floor,” Bueckers continued. “But I think Phee and Courtney really killed us in the first game, so trying to clean it up on that end.”

Bueckers has averaged 14.5 points, 6.0 rebounds, 5.0 assists, 1.0 steals, and 1.0 blocks over her first two WNBA games, quickly proving her poise and playmaking. She opened her career with 10 points, seven rebounds, and two assists in the season opener against the Lynx. She followed that performance with 19 points, eight assists, five rebounds, two steals, and a block in 37 minutes during a 79-71 loss to the Seattle Storm.

Bueckers has displayed adaptability as she transitions into the professional game. Expectations are high as she continues to evolve in her rookie season, not just from herself, but for everyone following her journey.