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Napheesa Collier Gives Paige Bueckers WNBA Advice After Wings Winless Start

Minnesota Lynx star Napheesa Collier offered Paige Bueckers advice after the Lynx and Dallas Wings played on May 21.
Grant Young|
May 6, 2025; Chicago, IL, USA; Minnesota Lynx forward Napheesa Collier (24) during the first half of a WNBA pre-season game at Wintrust Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images
May 6, 2025; Chicago, IL, USA; Minnesota Lynx forward Napheesa Collier (24) during the first half of a WNBA pre-season game at Wintrust Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images | Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images

Before Dallas Wings star Paige Bueckers' first career WNBA regular season contest on May 16, Minnesota Lynx MVP candidate Napheesa Collier (who, like Bueckers, went to UConn) shared strong words about the rookie's game.

"Her work ethic. And then, I think the way that she's already a three-way player," Collier said when asked what about Bueckers' game she admires. "Mid-range is probably the hardest to master, and she's really good in the mid-range. But especially as a point guard, being able to score at all levels, and then her vision is really impressive, especially for someone who hasn't played professionally yet."

While that sentiment was only six days ago, Collier and Bueckers have squared off two times in the regular season since then. And while this past week has resulted in a winless 0-3 start for Dallas, Collier still likes what she has seen from Bueckers so far, which she explained when speaking with the media after the Lynx's 85-81 win over the Wings on May 21.

"I think Paige is going to be really good. She's a three-level scorer, she's a great passer," Collier said when asked what advice she'd give to Bueckers, per an X post from SneakerReporterWNBA. "Rookie year is really hard, so I would just tell her there's going to be ups and downs. But from what I've seen, she's staying aggressive in these first couple games, so I'd tell her to keep doing that and lead the team.

"Point guard is a hard position, especially when you're young. But take advantage of the positions she's in. She's going to play a lot of minutes," Collier concluded.

It will be cool for Collier to see how much Bueckers has grown when these two teams play again on June 8.

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Grant Young
GRANT YOUNG

Grant Young covers Women’s Basketball, the New York Yankees, and the New York Mets for Sports Illustrated’s ‘On SI’ sites. He holds an MFA degree in creative writing from the University of San Francisco (USF), where he also graduated with a Bachelor’s Degree in Marketing and played on USF’s Division I baseball team for five years. However, he now prefers Angel Reese to Angels in the Outfield.

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