Wings rookie Paige Bueckers puts up 10 points in WNBA debut, as Dallas falls well short of Aces

The WNBA Preseason kicked off on Friday, with a matchup between the Dallas Wings and the Las Vegas Aces at Notre Dame. While the Aces were able to get the dominant 112-78 win, it was a stellar debut for Wings rookie Paige Bueckers.

Bueckers has had a very busy couple of weeks: putting up massive performances during March Madness, leading UConn to an NCAA championship, getting selected first overall by Dallas. Now, she had a chance to prove herself on an WNBA court, landing in the Wings' starting lineup for the game.

It was also a notable homecoming for several players on both teams: Dallas star guard Arike Ogunbowale and recent Aces acquisition Jewell Loyd were among the Notre Dame alums to return to their alma mater for Friday's game.

Around halfway through the first quarter, Bueckers hit her first milestone, scoring her first-ever points in the WNBA. The rookie pushed past defense from Chelsea Gray, A'ja Wilson and Kiah Stokes to drive to the basket.

After two teams traded momentum, the Aces started to really pull away towards the end of the first half, building up a double-digit lead. That lead stayed strong throughout the second half, even as Las Vegas started to rotate through some of the team's bench players.

Jackie Young, another Fighting Irish alum, went off for Las Vegas with a game-high 28 points and nine assists. Aces rookie Aaliyah Nye also put up a strong first impression with 17 points.

Bueckers finished with 10 points, including a pair of stellar three-pointers, and four rebounds in 23 minutes of play.

Both teams spread the wealth, minutes-wise, while they try to get a sense of who will make the final WNBA roster. Las Vegas will play one more preseason game against the Phoenix Mercury on Tuesday, before the regular season kicks off on May 16 with the Wings hosting the Minnesota Lynx.