When we talk about the worst starts in the WNBA, we often talk about the 2020 New York Liberty. After drafting Sabrina Ionescu with their number 1 pick, the Liberty stumbled down to a 2-12 record to start the season. One team that can potentially match this record are the Dallas Wings. Paige Bueckers and co have begun the season 1-11 and with a tough game against the Valkyries coming up, things could get worse. But for coach Koclanes, the results are secondary right now, he is focused on setting foundations and he liked the fight his team showed against the Aces.

Their last game against the Aces was a tough pill to swallow. When a team is struggling, it somehow finds new ways to lose—and that’s exactly what happened. The Wings were up by 11 with just four minutes left. But then came the collapse that no one saw coming. The Jackie Young-led Aces stormed back with an 18-2 run to steal an 88–84 win. An absolute shocker at the Michelob ULTRA Arena! To make matters worse, 14 of those points came from the free throw line. Despite another close loss, Koclanes wasn’t discouraged. He liked what he saw from his team and had a message for the rest of the league.

After Sunday’s training, the head coach shared some insights on the loss against the Aces. He said, “I thought, you know, we were able to get separation from the defense and get Arike into space, get Paige off of screens. There was just good physical screening. If you can get your playmakers space, more times than not, they’re going to make the right plays, whether that’s scoring for themselves or, you know, Arike had eight assists as well.”

Both Arike and Bueckers were phenomenal against the Aces, who were without A’ja Wilson. The Wings’ backcourt duo dropped 42 points and gave out 13 assists between them. It was a strong showing, no doubt. But it wouldn’t have been possible without their floor spacers, Luisa Geiselsoder and DiJonai Carrington.  Both combined for 28 points and 11 rebounds and were equally impactful.

Paige Bueckers is starting to find her rhythm and it’s all thanks to the hard screens her teammates have been setting. She’s finally getting the space she needs, and the results are showing. Over the last two games, she’s put up 51 points, 9 assists, and 8 rebounds. It feels like the wins are only a matter of time if the Wings continue to create space for their rookie superstar.

There was plenty to like about the Wings’ last game, but once again, closing the game proved to be their downfall. Finishing strong has been a problem, and it showed up in the 77–83 loss to the Seattle Storm, too. After the Aces game, Paige Bueckers’ teammates had a lot to say about the result. Let’s take a look at what they had to say!

Paige Bueckers’ teammates talk about the loss against the Aces

Several Wings players stepped up to speak on the tough loss against the Aces—a game they had in the bag but somehow let slip away. To their credit, the players owned it. Both Luisa Geiselsoder and Arike Ogunbowale shared their thoughts and took responsibility.

I think it was just kind of a disconnect — just all over. I can’t really, you know, blame it on something,” Ogunbowale said. “Definitely players, we need to be held accountable.”

“I think we can see how we can play — how good we can play, what good basketball, what good of a team we are,” Luisa said. “But I think we can also see where we have to learn from a lot, especially these last four minutes. Like, that’s not possible — that we have [a lead of] 13 and then we’re losing the game. In the end, that was our game. Like, we have to take that home.”

To make matters worse for the Wings, Geiselsoder will be leaving for the EuroBasket right after dropping a career-high 13 points on a perfect 6-for-6 shooting night. It will undoubtedly be a huge loss for Paige Bueckers and co. But the Dallas front office moved fast, bringing in Li Yueru from the Storm to fill the gap. Could this be the boost the Wings need to turn things around? Coach Koclanes thinks so. He’s feeling good about how his team is playing. What about you? Drop your thoughts in the comments!.