Dallas Wings rookie Paige Bueckers recently sat out the second game of a back-to-back due to a knee issue. Wings head coach Chris Koclanes downplayed any serious concern, explaining that the decision was more about managing her injury rather than addressing a new or worsening issue. But what exactly is Bueckers dealing with? After practice on Wednesday, Bueckers opened up about the situation, revealing the details of her knee injury.
“It’s difficult but at the same time I want to play 40 minutes, I want to play every single game,” Bueckers told reporters. “But also being smart and understanding the fact that there’s a long season and I want to have a long career ahead… I’ve been dealing with patellar tendinitis since I was in high school… In a sense, you’re managing it at all times. There’s no day where it probably doesn’t hurt. But to be on the second night of a back-to-back where I just played 38 minutes, it usually never feels great the day after the game.
“But we usually either have a off day or a light practice day to where I can recover… Assuming I would either have to play a lot of minutes or be managed, we thought it was the smart thing to do to rest and recover.”
Paige Bueckers is having a standout rookie season, living up to the hype of being the 2025 No. 1 overall pick. She’s averaging 18.4 points, 5.8 assists, 4.3 rebounds, and 1.8 steals per game, shooting 46.1% from the field and 33.3% from three. However, the Dallas Wings are struggling with a 5-13 record and have been hit hard by injury issues. Key players like Arike Ogunbowale, DiJonai Carrington, and Maddy Siegrist are all dealing with their own injury concerns, making the team’s path to success even more challenging.
“Unfortunately I have kind of been through this in terms of being short-handed and having not the full roster at UConn,” Bueckers said of the Wings’ roster being limited at the moment. “That was kind of a theme of my career. So used to it, next woman up. Whoever we got we feel like we have enough.
“Just kind of makes you feel like the underdog in a sense of you’re kind of beating the odds. It’s actually kind of fun to play where the odds are stacked against you.”
Bueckers is maintaining her positivity heading into Thursday night’s game against the Phoenix Mercury. Still, getting the job done will be a challenge for the short-handed Wings against a talented Mercury team.
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