Sep 1, 2025; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Dallas Wings guard Paige Bueckers (5) in action against Minnesota Lynx in the first quarter at Target Center. Mandatory Credit: Matt Blewett-Imagn Images Matt Blewett-Imagn Images

Lynx coach praises Paige Bueckers after destroying Dallas Wings

Originally posted on Dallas Wings on SI
By Austin Veazey | Last updated Sep 2, 2025 9:44 PM ET

The Dallas Wings are coming off their eighth-straight loss, a 96-71 blowout loss to the Minnesota Lynx. It wasn't quite the homecoming that the Minnesota native Paige Bueckers wanted, but she was still productive with 17 points.

After the game, Minnesota Lynx coach Cheryl Reeve, who is also the head coach of the United States women's basketball team, gave a lot of praise to the superstar rookie.

"They've really navigated her best spaces well," Reeve said. "Clearly, she likes to post up. She's terrific in that space. She's very much improved in terms of how she gets her scoring attempts. She learned how much the team needs her to take shots. It's almost like (Napheesa Collier) in 2023 when we were like, 'You're gonna have to take 20 shots, and you gotta figure out how to get them off.'

"I think Paige has gotten really shifty getting defenders up and getting to her sweet spot, so it's not just making one move. She's figured out the league pretty quickly, and obviously, she was tough to cover."

It hasn't been the season the Dallas Wings envisioned when they drafted Paige Bueckers, but she has continued to make strides and leave an impression around the WNBA. She's easily the favorite for Rookie of the Year and has a good chance of making an All-WNBA Team.

Matt Blewett-Imagn Images

Sinking Wings Locked Into Top WNBA Draft Odds

The Dallas Wings have the worst record in the WNBA, sitting at 9-32. It's a worse record than they had last season, and they still have a few games to play.

However, they have locked themselves into the best odds to land the first pick in the 2026 WNBA Draft, which Lottery uses a two-year system to determine the odds. Even with that stipulation, the Wings are

Even with that stipulation, the Wings are five games worse than the Chicago Sky. The Wings have three games left to play, and the Sky have five, which isn't enough to come back even if Dallas wins out and the Sky lose out. That doesn't mean they're guaranteed the first pick, as Dallas jumped up in the last draft, but it will give them a great chance to pair Bueckers with another young star.

This article first appeared on Dallas Wings on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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