Paige Bueckers and the Dallas Wings sparred with the Chicago Sky Thursday, and ultimately the Wings lost the game 97-92. While that score is close, it's still likely a disappointing reality for Bueckers, who graduated from UConn this year and is used to playing for a team that wins — and wins consistently.
Unfortunately, Bueckers will likely have to adjust to being on the other end of the game this season. The Dallas Wings didn't have a strong 2024 season and aren't poised to have a tremendous 2025 season, either. Though the Wings made significant moves during the offseason this year, like bringing in DiJonai Carrington and Ty Harris, the franchise will need to continue to add strong athletes before they can perform at the level the coaches and athletes want to.
Having said that, a few of the Wings had a great night Thursday. Arike Ogunbowale hit a season-high 37 points and bumped the Wings up 92-91 with only two minutes left in the game, but the team was ultimately no prepared for a Kamilla Cardoso who was firing on all cylinders (Cardoso scored a career-high 23 points for the Sky).
The WNBA season is still very young
As much as many fans want to see Bueckers come out and immediately dominate, the reality is that it takes time for any rookie to get into a true groove after they're drafted. And Bueckers is already having an excellent season. She rallied after her league debut (which still saw her hit 10 points and 7 rebounds) and has since put in strong performances at each game.
As many fans learned last season after Caitlin Clark joined the Indiana Fever, it's entirely possible for a rookie to carry a WNBA team, but they need time and space to learn how to do so. Clark and the Fever lost most of their games before the Olympic break last season, and Bueckers won't have the advantage of taking a few weeks off in the middle of the season to work on her game like Clark did. That means she will have to continue to learn on the fly, something she's showing she's capable of.
The Wings need to be careful with Bueckers
Despite Bueckers' enormous talent and potential, the Wings need to make sure they're being cautious with the young star. At various points during the team's May 27 game against the Connecticut Sun it was clear Bueckers was limping or feeling some kind of tension in her knee (she famously tore her ACL during a pick-up game ahead of the 2022-23 NCAA season) and still played over 35 minutes that game. Bueckers is an important piece for the Wings, but if she's out with an injury she can't do any good for anyone at all.