UNCASVILLE, Conn. — The Connecticut Sun call Mohegan Sun home, but former UConn star Paige Bueckers claimed the state as her territory on Tuesday with the best performance of her young WNBA career to lead the Dallas Wings in a 109-87 victory.

Though the Sun’s signature orange was still prominent in the crowd, most of the fans in attendance were sporting No. 5 jerseys in various shades of UConn and Dallas blue. A group of young girls sitting behind the team benches carried a bright pink American flag with Bueckers’ image printed on it, and a row of former teammates and Huskies staff members was on its feet when the rookie was introduced in the Wings’ starting lineup.

With so many friendly faces behind her, Bueckers had 21 points, seven assists, five rebounds, two steals and a block to help Dallas earn its first win of the season following an 0-4 start. The former Husky also returned to her signature efficiency hitting 80% from the field after averaging 27% across her previous two games.

Connecticut fell to 0-5 with the loss, tying the worst start in franchise history set previously in 2020.

Tuesday’s matchup was also a homecoming for Wings guard DiJonai Carrington, who was drafted by the Sun in 2021 and played for four years with the franchise. The 2024 WNBA Most Improved Player also had her best game of the year on the familiar court with 16 points plus three rebounds and a block, shooting 5 for 9.

The first quarter was by far the most competitive with 10 lead changes and two ties. The teams traded bucket for bucket, both hitting above 50% from the field and from 3-point range, but the Sun began to fall behind as soon as their shooting cooled off slightly. Rookie Aziaha James checked in early in the second quarter and immediately drained a three to kick off a 9-0 run for Dallas that Connecticut never recovered from.

All-Star center Tina Charles led the Sun with 11 points at halftime, and veteran guard Bria Hartley was unstoppable off the bench with 10 points in her first eight minutes on the court, but she found herself sidelined for most of the second quarter after picking up a third foul.

Sun guard Marina Mabrey was just 2 for 6 before halftime, and though she found her shot quickly in the third quarter, Connecticut struggled to make a dent in Dallas’s lead with its defense floundering. The veteran sharpshooter put up 13 points in the third, and Charles added 14 to try to drag the Sun back into the game, but Wings star Arike Ogunbowale also got hot out of halftime. She hit three straight 3-pointers and finished with 15 points in the quarter to maintain a 14-point margin for Dallas entering the final quarter.

Charles had her best offensive game of the season with 27 points, plus six rebounds and three assists. Mabrey added 19 points and four rebounds, shooting 4 for 9 from 3-point range. Though Sun guard Saniya Rivers had a pair of impactful plays in the second quarter to finish with eight points, two assists and two rebounds, the rookie never got into a rhythm and shot just 3 for 9 from the field.

Connecticut’s bench as a whole struggled to make an impact with just seven combined points in the second half, and the team allowed Dallas its best shooting performance to date. The Wings finished averaging 56.1% from the field and 50% from 3-point range, while the Sun fell to 45% from the field and 33.3% beyond the arc. Turnovers were also a major issue for Connecticut: The team gave up 17 for 19 points to the Wings while forcing 13 for 10 points.

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