Led on a dominant night by star Napheesa Collier, the Minnesota Lynx ruined the WNBA debut of Paige Bueckers and the Dallas Wings.
Collier scored 34 points, 20 coming in the second half, as the Lynx cruised to a 99-84 victory at College Park Center in Arlington, Texas. Minnesota outscored Dallas 35-20 in the third quarter to take control of the game, which was tied 46-46 at halftime.
Bueckers, the UConn star who was the No. 1 pick in the 2025 WNBA Draft, finished with 10 points in her first regular-season WNBA game, shooting 3-for-10 from the field. She also added seven rebounds, two assists, a block and two turnovers.
Bueckers and the Wings play the Seattle Storm on Monday, while the Lynx take on the Los Angeles Sparks on Sunday.
Final score: Minnesota Lynx 99, Dallas Wings 84
Napheesa Collier was Minnesota’s star of the night. She was 12-of-21 shooting for 34 points to go along with four rebounds and three assists.
Courtney Williams also racked up 25 points and nine assists for the Lynx, while Jessica Shepard chipped in 15 points and Diamond Miller had 13 points off the bench.
Arike Ogunbowale led Dallas with 16 points, while DiJonai Carrington added 15. Paige Bueckers playing for 30 minutes in her WNBA debut, finishing 3-of-10 shooting for 10 points.
Minnesota vs. Dallas 3Q score: Napheesa Collier, Lynx take control
Napheesa Collier followed up a 14-point first half with a dominant 18 points in the third quarter as Minnesota leads Dallas 81-66 going into the fourth. The Lynx outscored the Wings 35-20 in the quarter to take command of the game.
Courtney Williams has 19 points and nine assists for Dallas, while Jessica Shepard has 13 points and Diamond Miller has 10 points off the bench.
Arike Ogunbowale leads Dallas with 14 points, while DiJonai Carrington has 13 points and Paige Bueckers has 10 points.
Minnesota vs. Dallas halftime score: Wings, Lynx tied at halftime
Minnesota and Dallas are deadlocked at 46-46 at halftime of opening night. Maddy Siegrist hit a layup with one second left before the buzzer to end the first half in a tie. Napheesa Collier scored nine of her game-high 14 points in the second quarter. Jessica Shepard has added 11 points and Diamond Miller chipped in 10 off the bench.
Arike Ogunbowale leads Dallas with her 12 points, while DiJonai Carrington has added eight points. Paige Bueckers has six points, four rebounds and a block in her first career WNBA game.
Minnesota vs Dallas 1Q score: Wings hold slim lead
Paige Bueckers scored four points in her first career WNBA game as the Wings hold a 21-19 lead over the Lynx at the end of the opening quarter. Tyasha Harris has five points to lead all Dallas scorers, while Arike Ogunbowale and DiJonai Carrington each have four points.
Jessica Sheppard has seven points to lead the Lynx, while Napheesa Collier and Karlie Samuelson have scored five points each.
What time is Lynx vs. Wings?
The Minnesota Lynx and Dallas Wings will tip off the WNBA regular season at 7:30 p.m. ET on Friday, May 16 at College Park Center in Arlington, Texas.
How to watch Lynx vs. Wings: TV, stream
Time: 7:30 p.m. ET/6:30 p.m. CT
Location: College Park Center in Arlington, Texas
TV: ion
Stream: Fubo, WNBA League Pass
Watch the Lynx vs. Wings live with Fubo