MINNEAPOLIS -- Shortly after her hometown fans cheered when her name was announced, Dallas Wings rookie Paige Bueckers went cold.
Although the former Minnesota prep superstar had played on the Target Center floor numerous times in high school and college, she didn't make her first basket Wednesday night against the Lynx until the end of the first half.
"It's crazy," said Bueckers, who finished 3-for-11 shooting with 12 points and 10 assists in the 85-81 Wings loss. "The one that I made and the ones that I missed ... that was crazy."
Bueckers' return to Minneapolis, just miles from where she earned Gatorade National Player of the Year honors and won a state title on the Target Center court as a star at nearby Hopkins High School, was significant news locally. The city of Hopkins changed its name to "Paige Bueckers, Minn." on Friday, and a local ice cream shop named a flavor after her, all to celebrate her WNBA debut following her national title run at UConn.
But Bueckers said the buzz wasn't a distraction. Instead, she noted her approach to Wednesday's matchup was no different than her approach to any other game. And it also didn't overshadow her team's goals.
"We've been talking about, as a team, just being where our feet are and not really focusing on any exterior things, but what we want to be as an interior group and what we want to be as an organization, as a team," Bueckers said. "So I get that coming back home is really cool and it's a great experience, but what we're trying to build and what we're trying to do from game to game is more important."
Throughout the game, Bueckers showed both the high-level skills that made her the No. 1 pick in the 2025 WNBA draft and the growing pains every rookie in the league experiences.
She became just the third player (Shoni Schimmel, Suzie McConnell) to produce a double-double with points and assists within her first three games, according to ESPN Research. She whipped a pass to NaLyssa Smith early in the contest that helped the Wings amass a 15-5 lead in the first half. She also hit a clutch 3-pointer to cut Minnesota's lead to seven points in the second half. But there was also an air ball in the final minute as her team clawed back into the game, part of her overall shooting struggles on the night.
The Lynx left the door open for a Dallas comeback, but their experience and sheer talent overwhelmed Bueckers, Arike Ogunbowale (21 points, five assists) and the Wings, a team still working to find its identity amid an 0-3 start.
"I'm proud of our effort and our response, and then just trying to figure out how I can continue to help this team, help these players and help them to feel more comfortable and continue to move this thing along at an accelerated pace," Dallas coach Chris Koclanes said.
While Bueckers emphasized that her homecoming -- one that seemed to overshadow the home opener for a Lynx team that narrowly lost to the New York Liberty in five games in last year's WNBA Finals -- wasn't an obstacle for her, she admitted that the cheers and the scene in a building she knows well were special.
"You try to put everything into perspective and to see all the little girls and people in the stands and realize that that was you just about ... what, 10, 15 years ago," she said. "And so you never take it for granted, how blessed we are to be able to play in this league and to play at this level and to be in this organization with this team. I'm just extremely grateful, and you try to reflect that every single time you play with the passion and joy and heart that you play with. So you take it, and you carry it with you wherever you go."