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Paige Bueckers wasted no time proving why she was the No. 1 pick in the 2025 WNBA Draft. After a tough professional debut, the Dallas Wings rookie guard responded with a performance that left fans and legends, including Dirk Nowitzki, feeling confident about her future in the league.
Bueckers had a quiet first game as a professional, putting up 10 points on 3-for-10 shooting with seven rebounds, two assists, and one block in a loss to the Minnesota Lynx.
But even before she took the floor against Seattle, her resilience had a high-profile backer. Minnesota's Napheesa Collier, a fellow UConn alum and WNBA star, reached out to Bueckers before their matchup to offer encouragement and a reminder of the challenges ahead.
By Game 2, Bueckers had already begun to turn heads-and this time it was NBA legend and Dallas icon Dirk Nowitzki who shared his excitement about her talent and potential.
"Well, you know it's going to take a while to obviously get used to the physicality in the WNBA," Nowitzki said during the broadcast, "but I think she's got the talent, she's going to be amazing for us, and she's just going to get better from game to game, from season to season."
Bueckers makes Wings history and s elite WNBA company
Nowitzki's optimism was validated almost immediately as Bueckers bounced back with a stellar showing against the Seattle Storm.
She played 37 minutes and posted 19 points, eight assists, five rebounds, and two steals-an all-around effort that etched her name into Wings franchise history. She became the first rookie ever for Dallas to at least 19 points, eight assists, and five boards in a single game.
Her quick leap into elite statistical territory also put her among some of the WNBA's greatest. According to league records, Bueckers is now the second-fastest player in league history to reach a statline of 15+ points, 5+ rebounds, and 5+ assists.
The only player to do it faster was Candace Parker, who exploded onto the WNBA scene with 34 points, 12 rebounds, and eight assists in her 2008 debut.