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Paige Bueckers is set to make her unofficial WNBA debut on Friday as the Dallas Wings face the Las Vegas Aces for their first preseason matchup. The game will tip off at 7:00 p.m. ET at Notre Dame's Joyce Center in South Bend, Indiana, and will be aired nationally on ION.
After Bueckers led the UConn Huskies to the NCAA championship last month, fans are eagerly waiting to see a glimpse of how the 2025 WNBA draft's No. 1 pick will fare as a professional. Similar to Caitlin Clark last year, Bueckers also faces a lot of expectations this year, and it seems she is poised to deliver.
The upcoming matchup will be the Wings' only preseason game before they officially tip off their 2025 campaign against the Minnesota Lynx on May 16.
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Paige Bueckers "super excited" to be part of Dallas Wings' new era
During her introductory press conference last month, Paige Bueckers shared her excitement to be a part of the Dallas Wings' rebuild.
While the UConn star knows she is in a great position to make an instant impact for the Wings in her rookie season, she shared that she wants to stay motivated and not take anything for granted.
"There is a lot of new in this organization, so to be a part of something where we can build with each other and create a new sisterhood; we're really excited," Bueckers said.
"You don't want to take anything for granted, or be entitled to anything, so you want to continue to stay motivated to work. So being the first pick or the last pick, it didn't matter to me. But we're here now. We're in Dallas and super excited for the future," she added.
The Wings finished second-to-last in the previous season with a 9-31 record, which was their worst since 2011. Paige Bueckers' addition to the Wings is expected to spark new life in the team as they look to turn over a new leaf.
Buekers is expected to be the Wings' primary point guard and has been playing the position in training camp, allowing Arike Ogunbowale to focus on scoring.
"Learning a new offense, being a leader on the court, being the quarterback on the court for the offense. Knowing what to call, when to call it," Bueckers told media on Monday when asked about adjusting to playing point guard at the WNBA level as opposed to college.
Paige Bueckers concluded her final collegiate season averaging 19.9 points, 4.4 rebounds, 4.6 assists and 2.1 steals while shooting 53.4% from the field, including 41.9% from deep.
