Paige Bueckers’ WNBA preseason debut: Where to watch, preview, start time for Dallas Wings vs. Las Vegas Aces

Paige Bueckers’ college career ended on April 6 when she led UConn past South Carolina in the national championship game to win her first NCAA title. Less than a month later, the No. 1 overall pick in the 2025 WNBA Draft will take the floor for the first time as a professional. 

Bueckers and the Dallas Wings will travel to South Bend, Indiana to take on the Las Vegas Aces in a preseason tilt on Friday that will also serve as a homecoming game for former Notre Dame stars Arike Ogunbowale, Jewell Loyd and Jackie Young. 

This year, for the first time, the WNBA will have multiple preseason games on national TV, including this contest between the Wings and Aces. Here’s what you need to know. 

Where to watch Dallas Wings vs. Las Vegas Aces

Date: Friday, May 2 | Time: 7 p.m. ETLocation: Joyce Center — South Bend, IndianaTV: ION | Streaming: WNBA League Pass

What the players are saying

While Bueckers hasn’t played a WNBA game yet, she has been on the floor during training camp, and has already felt the difference between the college and professional levels. 

“Honestly, screens I got hit by. That would be the first, like, ‘Wow. Okay, this is different,'” Bueckers told reporters after her first practice. “And obviously, the floor is a little strange, you’ve got defensive three seconds in the lane, offensive three seconds in the lane. So that’s a little bit different. And then the pace, and obviously the physicality of stuff they let go in the ‘W.'”

Why the game matters

This is a preseason game, so the result doesn’t matter at all, and the performances only do to a certain extent. 

However, it is Bueckers’ first game in a Wings uniform, and it’s always going to be interesting to see how the No. 1 overall pick fares in their first action as a pro. How will Bueckers look next to Ogunbowale in the Wings’ backcourt? How will she fare against more physical WNBA defenses? We’ll get our first look Friday. 

And, of course, it will be cool to see all of the Notre Dame alumni return to campus.