May 19, 2025; Arlington, Texas, USA; Dallas Wings guard Paige Bueckers (5) looks on during the first half against the Seattle Storm at College Park Center. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images / Jerome Miron-Imagn Images
May 21 marked a homecoming for Dallas Wings star Paige Bueckers, as the rookie returned to her home state of Minnesota to take on the Lynx.
While her team came up short for the third consecutive game to start the 2025 regular season, Bueckers produced an all-around solid performance, scoring 12 points while also adding 10 assists (marking the first double-double of her WNBA career) and 3 steals.
Of course, Bueckers spent her college career playing with the UConn Huskies. And she wasn't the only Huskies player to get selected in the 2025 WNBA Draft, as both Kaitlyn Chen and Aubrey Griffin were selected.
Griffin was chosen by the Lynx, but underwent arthroscopic surgery on her left knee before the season began and therefore isn't on the team's active roster. However, that didn't keep Bueckers from singing Griffin's praises when asked about her former UConn teammate after the game.
"I love Aubrey, that's my pookie," Bueckers said with a smile, per Grant Afseth's YouTube channel. "But just the relationships I've built at UConn, they're something that's going to last a lifetime. I know she recently just got to Minnesota, you know I'm from there, just checking in on her, how she's doing, seeing how the process is going with her coming back from injury.
"It's just great to reconnect with those people that you love so much, and I'm just super proud of her, and happy for her. Yeah, I love that girl," Bueckers concluded.
This sentiment from Bueckers is yet another testament to the special culture and camaraderie that Geno Auriemma has built at UConn.