As a team that projected one of the most promising rosters when they inducted 2025 overall number one pick, Paige Bueckers during the 2025 WNBA draft, not everything seems fine in paradise for Dallas Wings. The newly inducted head coach, Chris Koclanes was hopeful of team doing wonders as the regular season began, as they followed a “one step at a time” approach.

But troubles seem never-ending for the Wings as the season progressed. They sank to 7th position in the Western Conference Division and rank last in the regular season standings so far with a 1-7 score on the leaderboard. With a new coach and an entirely rebuilt roster, captain Arike Ogunbowale had a tough time adjusting to the new team dynamics.

And once she got used to the absence of veterans Natasha Howard and Satau Sabally, Ogunbowale and the team faced another grave issue. Rookie Bueckers and Tyasha Harris were recently sidelined from the Wings’ active roster. While Bueckers suffered a concussion, Harris was out due an ongoing knee injury. But in a latest turn of events, official ESPN women’s account just broke a shocking news regarding the rookie on social media.

ESPN W shared a photograph of Paige Bueckers on Instagram, indicating that the athlete will miss her third consecutive match against the Los Angeles Sparks and wrote, “Paige Bueckers will miss Friday’s matchup against the Los Angeles Sparks due to a concussion.” The news of Bueckers’ injury update comes just 9 hours before Wings face Los Angeles Sparks at the College Park Center on Friday.

The Wings earlier stated that the former UConn athlete will miss out on two matches only. But the online announcement comes as a shock to teammates, fans, and broadcasters alike. The caption further read, “The Wings previously said she would sit out at least two games while not providing any specifics on how Bueckers sustained the injury.” While the exact reason for Buecker’s injury is still widely unknown, what we do know is that the rookie remains sidelined till any further updates from the franchise.

With two efficient guards out of the frame, Ogunbowale and DiJonai Carrington were having a tough time in their last game against the Seattle Storm as they rallied the team on their shoulders. While the Wings have been bearing the brunt of Harris and Bueckers’ absence, the latest news only adds more pressure to the already crumbling roster. With all eyes on head coach Chris Koclanes, it will be seen whether he takes crucial measures towards reviving the team or waits for his athletes to return.

HC Chris Koclanes praises the locker room despite a losing streak

“Talk about crashing consistently on the offensive end as that being a part of our identity,” is how head coach Chris Koclanes identifies with the Dallas Wings. And while the Wings undoubtedly boast of being one of the most powerful offensive players in the league, their inability to claw back into the season says a lot about the roster.

As one of the most patient head coaches in the country, Koclanes is hopeful of the team’s magnificent return in the regular season. Moreover, he cannot help but praise his locker room for showcasing massive improvement since the regular season began. He emphasised on how the Wings displayed an intensive defence capabilities during the first half against the Storm.

“I liked our first half and then early I liked our defensive intensity,” Chris said in a post-game interview. “I thought we did a lot of good things- our connectedness there. We disrupted Skyler and Nneka a little bit. You saw some good discipline disruption there, defensively.” He appreciated the roster’s efforts in delivering a well-disciplined and surprisingly clean defences throughout.

Pointing out at the team disrupting two of Storm’s strongest athletes in Skylar Diggins and Nneka Ogwumike, Chris hinted that the team was successful in throwing them off-guard. Needless to say, the roster showcased a drastic change as Carrington scored 22 points and 4 assists while Myisha Hines-Allen added 12 rebounds to the overall 83-77 score.

While forward athlete, Myisha Hines-Allen pointed at how the team currently relies heavily on Arike Ogunbowale and DiJonai Carrington, she urged the locker room to individually step up the game in the absence of Bueckers and Harris. But as Paige Bueckers remains seated on the bench, can Ogunbowale, and the Wings come around under the guidance of Koclanes and put an end to the losing streak?