Paige Bueckers Came to Collect – This Ain’t a Casino Visit

Paige Bueckers is coming back to Connecticut — and this time, she’s walking inside of Mohegan Sun Arena as a professional.

When the Dallas Wings take on the Connecticut Sun on Tuesday night, it’ll be the first time Bueckers steps onto the Mohegan Sun Arena floor since March 10, when she lit up Creighton for 24 in the Big East title game.

Back then, Bueckers was still a  UConn Husky.

Now? Bueckers is the No. 1 overall pick in the 2025 WNBA Draft and arguably the most hyped rookie in the league. A walking legacy-in-progress.

HomeCOming

This ain’t just another road game.

For Paige, this is a glow-up reunion with all the old heads in the building watching. Former teammates, fans who saw her dominate in Gampel, and a whole state that swore she’d never play anywhere else.

Welcome to Paige’s homecoming tour, Pro Edition.

“Mohegan is lowkey my second home to Gampel in Connecticut,” Bueckers said. “It’s great to be back, great to continue on this journey, and excited for the next game.”

That’s not just media-day fluff. This place means something to her.

She’s never lost here in a UConn uniform. She’s got memories stitched into the wood of that court — confetti games, big shots, hugs from Geno. The idea of coming back in teal and navy, looking to get her first real WNBA win here?

That’s poetry.

 

“It’ll be weird stepping on the court, not in a UConn uniform,” she said, “but it’ll be something I can enjoy… a new experience, a new team, and a new organization.”

She’s fully in her “new era” bag.

But that doesn’t mean she’s leaving the past behind — she’s just carrying it with her into the next chapter.

 

“I had some great moments here at Mohegan,” she added. “I don’t know if we lost here in my UConn career. So we’re trying to carry those vibes over… just approach it with a winning mentality.”

Early Returns Say: She’s Got It

Let’s get this out the way: Bueckers is not just surviving as a rookie, she’s already quarterbacking an offense next to Arike Ogunbowale and Ty Harris.

Through four games? She’s putting up 13.0 points, 4.5 boards, 6.3 dimes, and 1.8 steals per night. That’s top 5 rookie stuff across the board, but it goes deeper.

She leads all rookies in both assists and steals. She’s fourth in scoring. And she’s the only rookie ranked top 10 in multiple major categories across the whole damn league.

Yeah, of course the efficiency could be better — just 34% from the field so far — but if you’re worried about that, you haven’t watched enough Bueckers tape.

This is someone who shot over 50% at UConn while basically being the offense. She’ll settle in. And when she does?

Projections say she’s an easy 15-20 point per game player.

What makes Bueckers different is that she doesn’t play like a rookie. Bueckers already looks like a vet running second-side actions, swinging the ball out of traps, and setting tempo with that slow-fast-slow rhythm she mastered in college.

Already having a talented backcourt, she’s sharing the ball-handling load with Arike, but still getting 6.3 assists per game — and rocking a 3.13 assist-to-turnover ratio. That’s elite, not “promising.”

Especially considering how much defensive heat she’s drawing from grown women who have been playing pro ball since before she got her driver’s license.

She’s not speeding up, not rattled, not hunting bad shots. Just playing smart, clean, surgical basketball. And on defense? She’s not just holding her own — she’s swiping 1.8 steals a game, good for top 10 in the entire W.

Only two other players are doing what she’s doing on both ends right now: Kelsey Plum and Natasha Cloud. That’s the whole list.

Time to Get One in the Win Column

The Wings are still looking for their first win of the season, and what better time than now?

They’ve come close — Bueckers has already hit big fourth-quarter shots, and Arike just hit her 500th career three-pointer — but closing games has been a learning curve for this young squad.

But if there’s a breakout game coming? If there’s a moment where Paige decides to remind everybody she’s still the moment?

It’s probably going to happen at Mohegan. Where she never lost. Where Connecticut still feels like home. Where she walks into the arena with old ghosts and new goals on her back.

Bet against her at your own risk.