Paige Bueckers scored the first basket of her WNBA career quickly during her debut Friday night. Less than a minute into the game, the Dallas Wings' No. 1 pick brought the ball up the court and made a crafty move toward the hoop, getting past multiple Minnesota Lynx defenders on the way.
She decelerated for a one-legged runner as she headed to the hoop, but the shot was a bit too strong. The UConn product grabbed the rebound off her own miss and went back up to make a tough, contested layup off the glass through a pack of Lynx.
"Putback Paige" coming through 😤💪 https://t.co/WR29wRMDnZ pic.twitter.com/I6jtQBrWut
— WNBA (@WNBA) May 16, 2025
And here's another angle from the baseline:
That didn’t take long 😮💨 Paige Bueckers’ first WNBA bucket is in the books!
— WNBA (@WNBA) May 16, 2025
WNBA Tip-Off presented by @CarMax | ION pic.twitter.com/kZieYTWi4Y
You'd think she might feel some pressure on the day where her hometown of Hopkins, Minn. renamed itself "Paige Bueckers, Minn." But in her professional debut, she quickly put any of those thoughts to bed. Ironically, the Minnesota native got to play her hometown Lynx for her debut. Lynx star and 2024 WNBA Defensive Player of the Year Napheesa Collier texted Bueckers before the game to wish her luck, but not too much luck.
Now, Bueckers has her first WNBA bucket behind her. Certainly the first of many.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Paige Bueckers Didn't Waste Any Time Scoring Her First Bucket in WNBA Debut.
