It was a winning homecoming for Paige Bueckers and the first win of the season for the Dallas Wings.
Playing her first game as a pro in her collegiate state, Bueckers had a career-high 21 points and seven assists to lead the Wings to a 109-87 victory over the Connecticut Sun on Tuesday in Uncasville, Conn.
Dallas (1-4) broke a 13-game losing streak dating back to last season. The Sun fell to 0-5, their worst start since they also dropped their first five in 2020.
The Wings’ 109 points were the most scored by any WNBA team this season and eight off a franchise record.
Bueckers, the No. 1 overall pick in the 2025 WNBA Draft, was greeted with cheers throughout the game from the sellout crowd familiar with her exploits for the nearby Connecticut Huskies. She led the Huskies to the Final Four on four occasions, including the national title in April.
Arika Ogunbowale had 19 points for the Wings, including a stretch in the third quarter where she made long 3-pointers on three straight possessions. DiJonai Carrington, making her return to Connecticut after playing for four years with the Sun, had 16 for Dallas.
Tina Charles led Connecticut with a game-high 27 points. Marina Mabrey added 19 points, and Bria Hartley had 12.
Dallas shot 56.1 percent from the floor and scored 19 points off 17 Sun turnovers.
The Wings shattered their season high with 56 first-half points, shooting 54.5 percent from the floor, with Bueckers leading the way with 15, mostly on pull-up jumpers near the free-throw line.
Both teams came out firing in a first quarter that saw seven lead changes and the Sun lead 24-23 at the horn when Hartley sank a trey with 1.6 seconds left.
Dallas dominated the second quarter and took control with an 11-0 run sparked by a three from Aziaha James, which were the first points of her WNBA career. The lead grew to as much as 17 in the first half.
Connecticut responded with a spurt, getting five straight points by Saniya Rivers to pull to 56-42 at half.
The Sun got within 88-76 when Charles scored on a spin move to start the fourth quarter, but Dallas pulled away with an 8-0 run. Bueckers checked out for good with 4:09 left.
The Wings lost reserve guard Tyasha Harris to a knee injury, and she did not return after halftime.
–Field Level Media
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