Paige Bueckers is officially officially a WNBA player now.
The 6'0" guard made her WNBA debut as a starter for the Wings against the Minnesota Lynx and proved she was ready for the big time almost instantneously. Bueckers scored her first WNBA basket — and the Wings' first points of the night — before the first minute of the game had passed.
Bueckers' first shot was true to form: she decelerated as she approached the basket, popped up on one leg, and initially missed — but then she caught her own rebound and sank a contested layup off the glass.
Bueckers put in a solid performance during the first half and headed into halftime with 6 points, 4 rebounds, and 1 block. If she one flaw during the first half, it was that she was a little too quick to give up the ball (and her teammates didn't always make sure she got it back right away). Whether that was due to first-game jitters or something else was unclear.
Bueckers also delighted with a smooth pass to NaLyssa Smith, hopefully a sign of things to come as the team continues to iron out the details this season. She slowed down during the third quarter but did so without dropping off, skill-wise — though she wasn't hitting shots, Bueckers made sure to do the small, and crucial, things the right way.
Paige Bueckers' WNBA debut performance grade: B-
Overall, Bueckers had a more than solid debut with the Wings. In many ways, old words from UConn's Coach Auriemma are still true: she needs to play more aggressively if she wants to keep the ball (and it's okay to be selfish sometimes). But for her first-ever game, she more than held her own and gave fans plenty to look forward to. It was clear that the professional game is inherent in her training, especially in the way that she worked both sides of the floor equally — and she very nearly landed a double-double, with 10 points and 7 rebounds, a feat that was only matched by Myisha Hines-Allen, who finished with 11 points and 6 rebounds.
Ultimately, if Bueckers wants to take over and lead, she will have to push herself to do more on the floor — and to stop giving the ball away if she isn't sure she'll get it back.
Back in April, a few anonymous GMs spoke about the expectations surrounding Bueckers. "She understands the game. Her IQ is very high. She comes from a winning program, and all that stuff translates when you have multiple tools like she does," one told ESPN. Bueckers has a lot of skills, they added, and those will translate well.
The Wings struggled on defense
Defense was a major weakness the Wings contended with throughout the night, something that isn't completely new — but that can be rectified throughout the course of the season. The team went through a lot changes during the offseason (and has added 8 new players to the roster) and isn't in any rush to snag a championship, but steady improvements are a must this season.