Paige

Bueckers

Bueckers hit one of the game’s biggest shots, as her three-pointer with 11.1 seconds remaining in regulation forced overtime. Unfortunately for Dallas, they were unable to extend their win streak to three games, as Washington scored the final seven points of the extra period. Bueckers did not have her best day shooting the basketball, but she still recorded a complete stat line. She’s now scored at least 20 points in three straight and four of five games since returning from a concussion.

Between the Big East tournament during her time at UConn and Dallas’ two road victories over the Sun this season, Bueckers has yet to lose a game at Mohegan Sun Arena. The rookie led four Wings players in double figures on Friday, with that balance compensating for Arike Ogunbowale (7/2/1/1) shooting just 2-of-9 from the field. Since returning from a concussion, Bueckers has scored at least 20 points in three of four outings. And with Friday’s victory, the 3-11 Wings have won consecutive games for the first time this season. They’ll look to extend their win streak to three on Sunday when they visit the Mystics.

With UConn head coach Geno Auriemma in attendance, Bueckers filled the stat sheet, as she did consistently throughout her storied college career. The rookie has shot 50 percent or better from the field in five of her nine appearances this season, and the four steals recorded on Tuesday are a new high. There’s still work to be done regarding the chemistry between Bueckers and Arike Ogunbowale, but both playing well in Tuesday’s victory was an encouraging sign for the Wings, who are now 2-11.

Bueckers didn’t score as dominantly on Friday as she did in her 35-point outing against the Mercury, but she still managed to accumulate enough stats for a solid night of fantasy production. She checked several boxes, with the most noteworthy arguably being her passing. Bueckers logged at least five assists for the sixth time already in her rookie campaign, which has provided her with a safe floor on a nightly basis in terms of fantasy basketball. She’ll have a chance to string together a third consecutive strong game when Dallas hosts Golden State on Tuesday.

Bueckers’ much-anticipated return from injury was well worth the wait, as the No. 1 pick of the 2025 Draft set a new career-high in scoring on Wednesday. Bueckers’ magnificent first game back was highlighted by a 12-point first quarter where she shot 5-of-5 from the field before ending the half with 22 points. Her scoring trailed off just slightly as the game wore on, which eventually put the Wings in a hole too deep to crawl out of, as she had been the only Dallas player to reach double figures in scoring until later in the fourth quarter. Still, Bueckers’ strong production after missing extended time should leave fantasy managers optimistic about what’s to come next.

Bueckers will make her return to the starting lineup after a concussion and an illness sidelined her for a four-game stretch. The first overall pick’s offensive contributions were greatly missed by the Wings, who averaged 76 points per game in her absence, which included a 65-point outing in the team’s most recent contest to extend their losing streak to five games. Whether or not Dallas’ offense hits its stride immediately, it’ll at the very least hope Bueckers’ return gets the team back in the win column. The Wings currently own the worst record in the WNBA.

Harris, who last appeared in a game on May 27, underwent a successful procedure on her left knee Tuesday morning. The veteran guard will miss the remainder of the season, which is a hit to Dallas’ perimeter depth. Rookie JJ Quinerly has played increased minutes off the bench recently, and that should continue with Harris done for the season. Also, Dallas will welcome back Paige Bueckers after she missed three games due to a concussion and an illness. Harris’s absence will be most impactful from a perimeter shooting standpoint, as she made a team-high 45.5 percent of her three-point attempts before the injury.

Bueckers has missed the last three games, two due to the league’s concussion protocols. While the rookie did clear those protocols over the weekend, an illness sidelined her for Sunday’s loss to the Lynx. Bueckers has officially been cleared to play on Wednesday, and Wings coach Chris Koclanes said she will not be under any restrictions. That likely means Kaila Charles will head to the bench after an ineffective spot start against Minnesota.

In previous games when the Wings were forced to play without Paige Bueckers, Maddy Siegrist was the choice to move into the starting lineup. Head coach Chris Koclanes took a different approach on Sunday, starting Charles with Siegrist coming off the bench. Unfortunately for the now 1-9 Wings, that did not give the team the desired boost. Charles offered little value in her 16 minutes, with Siegrist (15/11/2/1 with one three-pointer) performing well in 26 minutes played. Dallas does not play again until Wednesday in Phoenix, and the hope is that Bueckers (illness) will be able to play. If not, one would assume that Siegrist will start after outperforming Charles on Sunday.

While Bueckers did clear concussion protocols, an illness will delay her return by at least one game. That means Maddy Siegrist will continue to start, with DiJonai Carrington and Arike Ogunbowale taking on more playmaking responsibilities.