WNBA: Paige Bueckers is showing signs of the pro she will become

If you never watched Paige Bueckers play and only saw her WNBA debut, you might wonder what the hype is about. She scored just 10 points in 30 minutes and seemed to struggle with the league’s physicality.

However, the first time is rarely the best time for anything, and Bueckers is already starting to find her groove. In her second-ever WNBA game, she looked more like the UConn Bueckers we all know and love. She distributed the ball, used her speed to get inside the paint and knocked down her open jumpers.

Bueckers couldn’t help Dallas earn their first win of the season as they lost 79-71 to Seattle, but progress was made. She ended the night with 19 points, five rebounds and eight assists.

During the broadcast, Dallas Mavericks legend Dirk Nowitzki, who was in attendance, spoke about how Bueckers has looked early on, sharing:

It’s going to take a while to, obviously, get used to the physicality in the WNBA, 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. And you already can see now she’s gotten more comfortable out there from game one, so she’s going to be tremendous for this organization for a long time.

While this matchup between the No. 1 and No. 2 picks from this year’s WNBA Draft looked like a fun contest, we didn’t really get to see it play out. Dominique Malonga only played for one minute at the end of the second quarter. She made the most of the seconds she had and was able to score a basket during that brief stint, but she wasn’t able to get anymore run.

As a 19-year-old player, Malonga is a top prospect, but she seems to be very low on the depth chart. Her time will come, but right now, Bueckers had herself a moment.

Bueckers got into a rhythm late in the first quarter. She converted on a field goal with 3:44 left in the opening quarter, followed that up with another midrange jumper and then hit a 3-pointer in the final seconds of the first to give Dallas a one-point edge heading into the second period.

Bueckers made a pair of free throws in the second quarter before getting subbed out at the 7:28 mark. Her rest was short as she was back on the court with 6:04 left in the half. Seattle had regained control and were up 41-34 midway through the second quarter. The only other highlight Bueckers had in the second quarter was a nice block of a Skylar Diggins attempt, but other than that, it was all Seattle.

With the lead comfortably in the Storm’s hands, Malonga finally saw her first and only minute of action with 1:21 left in the second quarter. Seattle ended the half up 56-41.

To start the third quarter, Bueckers had an impressive dime to NaLyssa Smith, which gave her six assists and counting. She struggled to score in the frame, only contributing two points, but she made her mark with her passing and rebounding. Bueckers, who played all of the third, tallied a plus-minus of +10 in the quarter as the Wings outscored the Storm 20-10 to make it a two-possession game entering the final 10 minutes.

In the fourth, Seattle outexecuted Dallas. Nneka Ogwumike and Ezi Magbegor went on an 8-0 run midway through the quarter, and the Wings never threatened again. Bueckers gave a valiant effort, scoring six more points, but it wasn’t enough to change the tide.

Overall, Bueckers’ play was a step in the right direction. She will undoubtedly be a good pro, and Monday’s performance was an example of why. Bueckers can score on all three levels, and when she gambles smartly on defense, she can also be an agitator and aggressor.

Good things take time, and both top picks will need time to blossom into the best versions of themselves, which requires patience from fans. For Bueckers, that could happen as soon as this season. In contrast, Malonga might need more time to get there if her minutes on the court will remain sparse in 2025.