On Friday afternoon, the Dallas Wings announced that rookie Paige Bueckers will miss a minimum of two games after she entered concussion protocol. The Wings will host the Sky on Saturday and travel to Seattle for a game against the Storm on Tuesday.
The team said Bueckers was placed in protocol on Thursday after the 97-92 loss to Chicago. She finished with 15 points (6-of-11), eight assists, five rebounds, three steals, and three blocks in 36 minutes. The news came as a shock to fans, given Bueckers' impressive performance, where she became the fastest player in over 10 years to record 40 career assists.
Grant Afseth of Dallas Hoops Journal speculated that the injury happened after this moment when Bueckers collided with Courtney Vandersloot late in the second quarter and fell to the ground. Her teammates surrounded her and helped her to her feet, and she remained in the game.
Paige Bueckers in concussion protocol after Wings' loss to Sky
Dallas dropped to 1-5 on the season with the loss, as Chicago celebrated its first win of the season after a rough start to 2025. Arike Ogunbowale's season-high 37 points (14-of-25 from the field, 6-of-12 from three) weren't enough for the Wings. Her final make of the night gave Dallas a 92-91 lead with 2:11 left to play, but after that, she and Bueckers shot 0-for-5 as the Sky went on a 6-0 run to close the game.
Ogunbowale's performance was the silver lining from the loss, as she struggled offensively in the Wings' first five games of the season. There will be even more pressure on her shoulders with Bueckers sidelined. Hopefully, she'll be able to carry Thursday's hot shooting over to Saturday's rematch in Texas.
Bueckers is Dallas' second-leading scorer with 14.7 points per game, behind Ogunbowale's 17.7. DiJonai Carrington is the only other Wings player averaging double-digits in points, with 11. Like Bueckers, she finished with 15 points against the Sky.
The earliest Bueckers can return is on Friday, June 6, when the Wings host the Sparks.