ARLINGTON, TX — Paige Bueckers' first basket in the WNBA preseason was a tremendous floating layup over reigning MVP A'ja Wilson. Bueckers' first WNBA regular season basket wasn't quite as smooth. However, she was able to display her tenacity with the bucket, a shot following a rebound of her own first missed attempt.

The Wings were ultimately defeated by the Lynx 99-84 on Friday night in their season opener as Napheesa Collier scored 34 points in a dominant effort. Still, Paige Bueckers' first WNBA basket was a special moment for the 2025 No. 1 overall pick. With that being said, she told reporters after the game that she should have made the first shot.

“Should have made the first one,” Bueckers said before continuing to discuss the loss. “Room to grow. You gotta have a starting point so you gotta have a foundation to build on. We don't want to overreact to the loss but we also know there is a lot of things you have to clean up and get better at. So just starting it off, starting this journey and then continue to build on it the next day we practice.”

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Arike Ogunbowale led Dallas with 16 points. Paige Bueckers, meanwhile, scored 10 points and added seven rebounds and two assists. Her numbers do not jump off the page, but it was a respectable first outing for the rookie.

It is easy for fans to expect Bueckers to immediately perform at an elite level against the competition, but it is important to remember that this is a player who was in college just a few months ago. Making the transition to the highest level of professional basketball requires an adjustment period.

With all of that being said, it was still an all-around strong debut for Bueckers.

Paige Bueckers and the Wings will look to earn their first win of the '25 campaign on Monday against the Seattle Storm at home.