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Lynx best Paige Bueckers, Wings, 85-81, in No. 1 pick’s homecoming

MINNEAPOLIS — The Twin Cities packed the stands of the Target Center on Wednesday night and caused traffic congestion around the arena ahead of and after the Minnesota Lynx’ regular season home opener.

It’s not surprising that Wednesday’s game was a hot ticket. The last time the Minnesota Lynx were in the Target Center, they forced a decisive Game 5 against the New York Liberty in the WNBA Finals with dazzling performances from their stars.

Although they eventually lost the title to the Liberty, their play left an impression on fans, who were eager to see if the Lynx could pick it up again in 2025.

It also probably didn’t hurt that the visiting Dallas Wings featured the 2025 draft’s top pick and Minnesota native, Paige Bueckers, playing her first game in Minneapolis as a pro.

The Lynx didn’t disappoint and dazzled fans again with last-minute nail-biting moments against Bueckers’ Wings, prompting chants of “Who’s house? Our house” as Minnesota put the finishing touches on an 85-81 victory over Dallas that improved the team’s record to 3-0.

After initially digging itself a 10-point deficit just a few minutes into the game, Minnesota built a lead behind strong first-half 3-point shooting (8-of-15). That cushion held through the rest of the game but the Wings were able to claw into the lead as the Lynx’s 3-point shooting cooled in the second half.

Dallas cut Minnesota’s lead to just two points with 39.3 seconds remaining with an Arike Ogunbowale 3.

But, as the Lynx showed the latter parts of last season, this was a group that was built to perform under pressure late. Early MVP candidate Napheesa Collier hit two free throws to seal the win.

Collier led Minnesota with 28 points and eight rebounds while Courtney Williams and Alanna Smith added 13 points apiece. Offseason acquisition Karlie Samuelson took the fifth starting spot for Minnesota, which is still awaiting the arrival of Kayla McBride, who has started every game for the Lynx over the past four seasons. McBride is not currently with the team due to personal reasons, per the organization.

The Lynx victory made for a bittersweet return for Bueckers, who put together a solid all-around performance. She finished with 12 points, 10 assists and three steals.

Though she struggled scoring from the floor (she finished 3-of-11 on the night), in the few moments Minnesota’s defense gave her enough breathing room to play her game — quick handoffs for 3-pointers, pick-and-rolls for elbow jumpers — Bueckers looked every part herself (minus the two French braids she dropped when she left the college ranks).

Though Bueckers has played for state championships as a high schooler and a national championship at UConn in 2022 at the Target Center, she acknowledged ahead of the game that this visit did hold a special meaning for her.

“Different scenario, different team, different league so definitely feels different,” Bueckers said. “Just always good to be back home.”

Minnesota returns to action Friday night against Connecticut and will have a third matchup with the Wings in two weeks when the Lynx return to Dallas.

This article originally appeared in The Athletic.

Minnesota Lynx, Dallas Wings, WNBA

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