(UNCASVILLE—WTIC News) As she made her first pro appearance in Connecticut, fresh off a national championship with UConn, fans at Mohegan Sun Arena made it clear: the Paige Bueckers brand is strong, and growing.
“If your child’s going to be obsessed with something, a good thing to be obsessed with is Paige Bueckers,” said Angie of South Carolina, who made a last-second decision to fly with daughter Emmy, 11, to Tuesday’s nights game between Bueckers’ Dallas Wings and the Connecticut Sun.
“She’s a great role model, great influence," added Angie. "We’ve been watching her on TV and then we actually went down for the Final Four and the National Championship game as well.”
Both teams were 0-4 to start the WNBA season, but that was of little concern to the many fans who came out specifically to see Bueckers, who barely left the court in her first professional win, scoring 21 points over 35 minutes of playing time.
Bueckers seems appreciative of the attention, saying, “Everybody here has meant a lot to me, just the support—people in the stands, people who are here from UConn. They’re a huge part of the reason why I’m here today.”
“I just think her morals and her values really stand out,” said Mallory Somers, who drove down from Maine. “She seems like a good human being and a great basketball player. She’s entertaining to watch, for sure.”
Tuesday night, Bueckers delivered that entertainment value from the start. She quickly got her teammates involved, dishing out 3 assists in the game’s first 90 seconds. Her finely-tuned jump shot was on display all night, as she scored with ease from midrange, connecting on 8 of 10 shots from the field for a rare 80% field goal rate.
Her ballhandling was also dazzling, highlighted by a behind-the-back dribble leading to a late 3rd quarter jumper. A minute later, another jumper put her over the 20-point mark for the first time as a pro.
A good portion of the sellout crowd (8,910) exited when Bueckers left the game with about 4 minutes left and Dallas leading by 22. She added 7 assists, 5 rebounds and 2 steals, as Dallas beat the Sun (0-5), 109-87.