The Dallas Wings' 2025 WNBA opening night game against the Minnesota Lynx did not go as planned. While all the attention was on Paige Bueckers' professional debut, Wings center Teaira McCowan turned heads for all the wrong reasons.

The 28-year-old center started her seventh season in the league on Friday night, including her fourth with the Wings. However, due to the team's significant roster changes over the offseason, she received just five minutes in the game. Once the final horn sounded, McCowan was seen rushing into the locker room during the team's final huddle by Dallas reporter Landon Thomas.

After starting 38 of her 39 games in 2024, McCowan came off the bench in the season opener. She practically fell entirely out of the rotation as the Wings used a frontcourt rotation of Myisha Hines-Allen, Maddy Siegrist and NaLyssa Smith. Siegrist played a team-high 31 minutes off the bench, notching 11 points and two rebounds.

The 99-84 blowout played a factor, but McCowan's play style was simply ineffective against the 2024 runner-ups. The plodding 6-foot-7 center could not keep up with the Lynx's small-ball approach. Without Alanna Smith, Cheryl Reeve started the quicker Jessica Shepard while giving Napheesa Collier a lot of minutes at center. McCowan was run off the court by Minnesota's fast-paced style as soon as she stepped onto the court.

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May 16, 2025; Arlington, Texas, USA; Dallas Wings guard Paige Bueckers (5) shoots against the Minnesota Lynx during the second half at College Park Center. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images
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Most fans tuned into the game to see Bueckers' WNBA opening act, but ended up witnessing a dominant performance from the Lynx. The game was tied at halftime, but Minnesota burst out of the gates in the second half to blow it wide open in the third quarter.

In typical fashion, Lynx stars Napheesa Collier and Courtney Williams led the way. Collier dropped 34 points while Williams added 24, giving the duo 58 of the team's 99 total points. Only two other Minnesota players reached double figures, but it was more than enough to blow past the new-look Wings.

Bueckers did not do a lot of scoring, ending the game with 10 points on 3-for-10 shooting, but she eased her way onto the scene with a well-rounded performance. She added a team-high seven rebounds with two assists and one block. Arike Ogunbowale led Dallas with 16 points, while the recently acquired DiJonai Carrington added 15.