Connecticut brings luck for Paige Bueckers – no doubt about that. Over five seasons with UConn, she never lost a game at Mohegan Sun Arena. Not once. So, when she walked back into that gym on May 27 riding a four-game losing streak with the Dallas Wings, the mission was clear: break the skid and keep the Mohegan magic alive. She did exactly that. For the rematch, the goals remained the same and so did the story. But this time, the win came with a little twist. Because while Bueckers left with the dub, she also picked up something new.

It was a full-circle moment for a pair of UConn legends. Bueckers vs. Tina Charles, on their old stomping grounds, under the eyes of a packed crowd that included UConn stars and none other than Coach Geno Auriemma himself. The Wings entered the game ranked No. 13 in the league at 2-11, but they had some momentum going after their win over the Valkyries.

And they kept it rolling with an 86-83 win. It wasn’t easy, though. The Sun came out with fire, especially on the defensive end. Rookie Saniya Rivers was everywhere in the opening quarter, and the Wings could barely get a clean look. Bueckers was held to just one basket in the first.  But you know her, she wasn’t staying quiet for long. In the second quarter, she picked up pace…and also her first career fech.

Here’s what happened: Bueckers rose up for a midrange jumper along the baseline, knocked it down, and immediately turned to the ref.  She let out a yell and clapped. The announcers caught it too, saying the rookie looked like she expected an “and-one.” And the ref was clearly not a fan of the reaction. He blew the whistle, turned to the scorer’s table, and handed Bueckers her first-ever technical foul.

Later, during post-game press conference, she shared exactly how that moment went down and if she got a clarification: “I clapped twice and I said ‘and one’ and he said I clapped in his face. That’s all.” She didn’t seem too rattled by it. And why would she be? She still closed the half with 16 points on 7-for-11 shooting.  Besides, the vibes were great- the entire 2025-26 UConn roster had just arrived and settled into their lower bowl seats. KK Arnold was seen grinning as Bueckers gave the ref a look, briefly trying to plead her case.

Then after a first half that saw 10 lead changes and 8 ties, the Wings came out swinging in the second half. Bueckers and fellow rookie Aziaha James went off, sparking a 12-0 Dallas run. The Sun tried to fight back, and they did lean hard on their defense late in the game. But offense was still a struggle.

Foul trouble and rebounding woes didn’t help either. The Sun sent the Wings to the line 30 times – Dallas made 24 of them. Meanwhile, Connecticut got hammered on the boards, 42-29. With this, the Sun faced fifth straight loss, which dropped them to 2-11, the worst record through 13 games in franchise history. Bottom of the league, with more questions than answers.

Meanwhile, Bueckers is finding her groove. Still undefeated in Connecticut (17-0), still making history and yes, even making early waves on the All-Star voting leaderboard.

Paige Bueckers climbs early All-Star voting charts

The past few years have brought in some of the most talented rookie classes the WNBA has ever seen. Just last season, Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese became the first rookie duo in a decade to earn All-Star nods in the same year. And now, in 2025, the trend of star-studded first-years continues with Dallas Wings guard Paige Bueckers right at the center of it.

Despite missing four games early in the season, the No. 1 overall pick is making quite the impression. Bueckers has emerged as a clear Rookie of the Year frontrunner and, now, an early favorite for a spot on this year’s All-Star roster. The early returns show Bueckers sitting in sixth place overall with 312,920 votes. 

Leading the charts – as expected – is Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark, who’s once again dominating the fan vote with 515,993. Following her is MVP frontrunner Napheesa Collier of the Minnesota Lynx. Aliyah Boston (Fever), A’ja Wilson (Aces), and Breanna Stewart (Liberty) round out the top five, just ahead of Bueckers.

But Paige’s vote tally isn’t just a byproduct of her rising popularity. She’s putting up legit All-Star numbers. Through her first nine WNBA games, Bueckers is averaging 17.7 points, 5.7 assists, 4.3 rebounds, 2.1 steals, and 1.0 blocks per game. She’s shooting an efficient 47.2% from the field and 34.5% from deep.

And she’s not the only Wings player with a shot at All-Star weekend. Forward DiJonai Carrington is currently ranked 27th in fan voting, vying for her first All-Star selection. Meanwhile, four-time All-Star Arike Ogunbowale sits at 34th – lower than usual, partly due to an early-season slump.  Only 12 players will ultimately make the All-Star cut (plus injury replacements). From what we can see, the chances are high that Paige Bueckers will be one of the names.