Paige Bueckers isn’t just returning to Connecticut. She’s returning to a building where some of her biggest moments were forged. The Dallas Wings rookie guard is set to play her first WNBA game at Mohegan Sun Arena on Tuesday night against the Connecticut Sun. The setting is familiar, but everything else has changed. Bueckers arrives with a new jersey, role, and a team still seeking its first win.
“It’ll definitely be weird stepping on the court, I think, not in the UConn uniform,” Bueckers said. “But it’ll be something that I’ll enjoy — a new experience, a new team, a new organization. And so it’s just like another step in the new journey, and I’ll definitely enjoy being back here in the state I love so much.”
Bueckers went undefeated at Mohegan Sun during her UConn career. She helped lead the Huskies to a national championship in April and was named the Big East Tournament’s Most Outstanding Player three times. Now four games into her WNBA career, she’s averaging 13.0 points, 6.3 assists, 4.5 rebounds, and 1.8 steals while becoming the fastest guard since Sue Bird to open a WNBA career with 50 points and 25 assists.
The Wings enter Tuesday’s matchup at 0-4, still searching for their first win. For Bueckers, that record doesn’t define the progress.
“I had some great memories here in Mohegan,” she said. “I don’t think we lost here in my college career. So I’m trying to carry those vibes into this game — approach it with a winning mentality.”
UConn Prepared Paige Bueckers for WNBA Life
Adjusting to the WNBA’s travel and schedule has been a challenge. The quick turnarounds and cross-country flights require discipline and preparation.
“The turnarounds and the travel — the next day you have a game or you’re scouting for a game,” Bueckers said. “It’s a lot. But you don’t take it for granted. It’s still a dream to be here.”
Bueckers credited her time at UConn for helping her prepare. The daily habits and structure of the program made her transition to professional basketball smoother.
“Everything about UConn is professionalism — on the court, off the court, the way you carry yourself, the way you behave, your habits,” Bueckers said.
She also noted the mental side of the adjustment — from processing scouting reports on short notice to maintaining focus through a more compressed and physically demanding schedule.
“There’s just so much information to digest in a short amount of time,” Bueckers said. “You really have to lock in, stay organized, and lean on your routine.”
Running the Point and Studying the Game
As the Wings’ point guard, Bueckers has taken ownership of organizing the offense, setting tempo, and learning how to get her teammates involved effectively. She pointed to film study and scouting as essential tools in adjusting to the WNBA’s speed and physicality.
“Just watching film, getting a better read on how the defensive coverages in the WNBA and ball screens and away screens [work],” Bueckers said. “The physicality — just trying to adjust to that by thinking, taking it day by day, step by step, drive by stride.”
She acknowledged the responsibility that comes with running the show, especially for a young roster still finding cohesion.
“The point guard position — you feel like a huge responsibility to the offensive flow,” she said. “So just continue to use my voice, connect with people, see where they like it, when they want it.”
Bueckers said she’s focused on improving transition execution, spacing, and making quicker reads — all while staying patient with the development process.
“I can do a better job of getting our team organized just in transition and what we want our flow to look like,” she said. “Getting into first actions, and if we don’t get something in the first action, creating looks into second action.”
Dallas Wings Team Chemistry Still Forming
With a revamped Wings roster and coaching staff, the team is still working to develop chemistry. Bueckers said she’s focused on staying present and building relationships.
“Just staying in the present moment has been my motto for the past year or so,” Bueckers said. “You forget to take advantage of where you are now.”
She’s embraced each road trip as a bonding opportunity and pointed to off-court conversations, shared routines, and learning each other’s tendencies as vital to finding rhythm. Her approach has been to lead through consistency and communication.
“Recognizing and being aware of everything that’s going on around you to try to build relationships, build experiences — like road trips like this with a team that’s young and early, trying to build chemistry — are important,” Bueckers said.
She’s also embraced life off the court. Bueckers has explored Dallas and attended games across the city. Living alone has been a new experience, and she’s adjusting to the independence of pro life.
“I’ve lived alone for like a month,” Bueckers said. “It made me second guess getting a dog because I get so lonely sometimes.”
Paige Bueckers Remains Focused on Growth
Despite the Wings’ winless record, Bueckers has leaned into the opportunity to grow, both individually and as part of a young roster still building its identity. Rather than dwell on the early struggles, she’s prioritized incremental progress and staying grounded in her preparation.
“It’s like what’s delayed is not denied,” Bueckers said. “We’re not setting any expectations for ourselves. We’re just trying to grow in the film room, grow in the weight room, grow on the court, grow with our chemistry and stick to it.”
Bueckers has embraced her responsibilities as a lead guard, focusing on organizing the offense and understanding how to get her teammates in rhythm. She noted the challenge of learning new personnel and developing on-court chemistry under live conditions.
“You get a better flow and sense of where everybody needs to be,” Bueckers said. “We’re all learning each other’s tendencies — where we like the ball, when to go after a cut. It takes time, but that’s where the growth happens.”
She’s also been candid about the emotional shift from competing for championships at UConn to now helping lead a team through a rebuild.
“You’ve got to be patient with it,” Bueckers said. “The winning mentality doesn’t change — but the process might take longer. And I’m OK with that because I believe in what we’re building.”
Fan anticipation for her return to Connecticut remains high, and Bueckers acknowledged the significance of stepping back into a place where she never lost — only now, with different colors and a different challenge ahead.
