The Dallas Wings’ recent string of victories has showcased the growth of their rookie players.
With veteran players DiJonai Carrington and Arike Ogunbowale sidelined due to injuries, the team has entrusted Paige Bueckers with more responsibility. Heading into Monday’s game against the Phoenix Mercury, the Wings had won five of their last seven games, recovering from a rough 1-11 start to the 2025 season.
However, Monday’s matchup at PHX Arena proved to be a setback for both Bueckers and the Wings.
Sami Whitcomb of the Mercury scored a career-high 36 points, leading Phoenix to a dominant 102-72 win over Dallas. Things got even worse for the Wings when Bueckers took a hard hit while attempting to navigate around Mercury center Kalani Brown for a layup.
The incident immediately raised concerns that Bueckers might have suffered another concussion, as she had previously missed three games earlier this season after a head injury against the Chicago Sky on May 29. With a highly anticipated game against Caitlin Clark’s Indiana Fever on the horizon, fans were anxious about the possibility of missing out on the first-ever matchup between the top two overall draft picks.
Thankfully, after the game, Wings head coach Chris Koclanes was able to calm those concerns regarding Bueckers’ condition.
“(Paige Bueckers) is feeling okay,” Koclanes said Monday.
Bueckers scored 11 points in 24 minutes on Monday as her stellar rookie year continues. Through 15 career games, Bueckers is averaging 18.2 points, 5.5 assists and 4.1 rebounds while shooting 46.5 percent from the floor and better than 35 percent from 3-point range.
Bueckers’ immediate adaptation to the intensity of the WNBA portends a bright future ahead in Dallas, despite the Wings’ 6-14 record this season. And for fans, the prospect of Bueckers and Clark squaring off at Gainbridge Fieldhouse on Sunday — after Clark missed their first showdown — represents one of the season’s blockbuster games, even if neither team is a ready-made championship contender.
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