MINNEAPOLIS — Shortly after her hometown fans cheered when her name was announced, Dallas Wings rookie Paige Bueckers went cold.
Although the former Minnesota prep superstar had played on the Target Center floor numerous times in high school and college, she didn’t make her first basket Wednesday night against the Lynx until the end of the first half.
“It’s crazy,” said Bueckers, who finished 3-for-11 shooting with 12 points and 10 assists in the 85-81 Wings loss. “The one that I made and the ones that I missed … that was crazy.”
Bueckers’ return to Minneapolis, just miles from where she earned Gatorade National Player of the Year honors and won a state title on the Target Center court as a star at nearby Hopkins High School, was significant news locally. The city of Hopkins changed its name to “Paige Bueckers, Minn.” on Friday, and a local ice cream shop named a flavor after her, all to celebrate her WNBA debut following her national title run at UConn.
But Bueckers said the buzz wasn’t a distraction. Instead, she noted her approach to Wednesday’s matchup was no different than her approach to any other game. And…
