The Dallas Wings’ game against the Los Angeles Sparks was supposed to be an intense matchup between two high-achieving franchises. And while it was exactly that for the most part, a barrage of injuries to the Wings’ lineup soon dominated the night. Two players went down in one night, forcing rivals to rush to their assistance.

The first mishap of the night occurred during the second quarter of the game to Odyssey Sims. Sims stepped on Cameron Brink’s foot and tumbled to the floor, raising concerns.

Players from both teams immediately rushed in around her to help, including Plum and Bueckers. Moments later, Sims had to be carried off the court on a wheelchair. Grant Afseth from the Dallas Hoops Journal took to his X handle to share a clip of the sequence.

Soon after, the Wings announced via X that the player “will not return to tonight’s game after suffering a left ankle injury”. Consequently, Sims was only able to contribute for 4:35 minutes in the game with one turnover and one rebound. 

But the wave of injury didn’t end there. In the fourth quarter, with a little over three minutes to play, Aziaha James collided with Nneka Ogwumike and went down with a leg injury. In the sequence of the play, Ogwumike was setting a screen on James when the collision took place, according to beat writer Justin Russo.

James collapsed and was helped to the sideline by teammates. She is reported to have sustained a leg injury. Other details regarding James’ injury haven’t been released by the Wings.

Before she departed from the court, the player reportedly logged 10 minutes, recording 3 points, 3 assists and one steal. Both injuries have reduced the Wings’ backcourt depth. 

Notably, Dallas is already dealing with injuries. Center Awak Kuier is out, dealing with a right wrist issue and missing her second straight game, while Li Yueru has sustained a left ankle injury.

But for now, the good news is that Paige Bueckers and the team still clinched a 104-96 victory over the LA Sparks despite these hurdles. And right after the win, Bueckers didn’t hesitate to make a confident statement.

Paige Bueckers points towards mentality after winning amid adversities

The Dallas Wings eventually proved at the end of the game why they are in the top half of the Western Conference. Despite being short-handed, Paige Bueckers and the team managed to clinch a win against a veteran-laden squad, featuring Kelsey Plum, Nneka Ogwumike, and Ariel Atkins.

“We are fighters,” Bueckers said via WNBA on ION when asked about the team’s mentality. “Odyssey went down, Aziaha went down. We had different people stepping up. We just have a group of fighters. And a group of resilient people who ride the ways of the game and stay composed and stay together.”

Paige Bueckers herself led the foundation for this win on the night. The Wings guard finished the night with 18 points and a career-high 14 assists. She knocked down 7 of 14 from the field to carry the team towards the win. Arike Ogunbowale (30 points) and Jessica Shepard (22 points) led the supporting cast.

The LA Sparks didn’t make it easy for the Dallas Wings. Returning from an injury, Kelsey Plum recorded 27 points on the night while Ariel Atkins had 16. The Sparks even had a better shooting night, scoring 54% from the field against the Wings’ 53%. But the Wings put up 10 more shots (77 vs 67), hitting five more than the Sparks.

This collective act of stepping up for the team during adversity reflects the Wings locker room’s sheer mentality to win at any cost. With this win, the Wings extend their winning streak to 4 games and are now 7-3 in the season. Their next game is on June 9 against the Minnesota Lynx at The Target Center.