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Paige Bueckers’ WNBA debut will come with a touch of nostalgia and a vision for the future. When Bueckers and the Dallas Wings take on the Las Vegas Aces at Notre Dame’s Purcell Pavilion, the preseason matchup will be more than a game. It will be a celebration of college roots and a spark of inspiration for what could come next.
The night will be a homecoming for Wings star Arike Ogunbowale, the all-time leading scorer at Notre Dame and the hero behind the program’s 2018 national championship. Meanwhile, Aces standouts Jackie Young and Jewell Loyd, who also led the Irish to glory, will step onto their old floor once again.
Legends return to Purcell.Arike. Jewell. Jackie.Less than 10 days ‘til tip.
Secure your tix at 🔗 https://t.co/FHkJYgebeW#IrishInTheWNBA // @WNBA pic.twitter.com/i2tFZYNzri
— Notre Dame Women’s Basketball (@ndwbb) April 23, 2025
The event is part of a broader WNBA initiative to connect its stars to the passionate fan bases that first propelled them to stardom, a movement that Bueckers hopes to carry forward. Having just led UConn to its 12th national championship, Bueckers shared with The Dallas Hoops Journal that she hopes she and the Wings could host a game at Gampel Pavilion, her old stomping grounds.
“Yeah, I think it’s really cool and a great idea,” Bueckers said. “I think it should be incorporated even more. Just to start here, it’s a great start. I would love to play a game at Gampel and go back to UConn. I think it’s an amazing idea. Just seeing the support of women’s basketball grow — at the college level and at the WNBA level — it’ll be a great turnout wherever we go.”
As Bueckers embarks on her professional journey, her first preseason game for the Wings represents more than a debut. It’s a reminder that honoring the past can strengthen the future. Someday soon, Bueckers hopes to feel that same homecoming magic in Storrs, a place she called home for four star-studded seasons.
