While it hasn’t been the ideal start for Paige Bueckers, it’s also something many anticipated. The Dallas Wings have dropped both of their opening games, and things aren’t exactly clicking just yet. Head coach Chris Koclanes hasn’t sugarcoated it either—he’s admitted that the team just isn’t performing up to expectations so far.

After dropping their season opener to the Minnesota Lynx, the Dallas Wings found themselves in a marquee matchup, featuring the top two picks of the 2025 WNBA Draft. Paige Bueckers gave fans a glimpse of her star potential, finishing with 19 points, five rebounds, and two steals.

But despite her efforts, the Wings fell short once again, losing 79-71 to the Seattle Storm. While Bueckers shined, the overall team performance left much to be desired–and head coach Koclanes didn’t shy away from voicing his disappointment.

In the post-game press conference, Coach Chris Koclanes didn’t hold back. He said, “It’s going to take a level of hard work and effort that we have within us but hasn’t been demanded of us consistently all the time. We got to continue to find our tempo. It’s hard when you give up a 30-point quarter—you’re taking the ball out of the hoop the whole time. So now you’ve got to really execute in the half-court. Um, you know, it’s a game of runs. The more you can get stops, now you can get out and run in the open floor. But I didn’t even think we were good in the open floor tonight.”

It was definitely a game the Wings might look back on and feel like they let slip away. But they’ve got no one to blame but themselves. Allowing the Storm to pour in 31 points in the second quarter while shooting just 37% from the field made a second-half comeback nearly impossible. Missed layups piled up, and their performance from beyond the arc was rough too-just 4-of-19 from three. Coach Koclanes knows there’s work to be done. But so far, the early signs haven’t been encouraging.

But this is something the former UConn star saw coming from the start. In a recent press conference, she spoke openly about the expectations she had heading into her first W season. Let’s take a look at what she had to say.

Paige Bueckers talks about her expectations

Paige isn’t someone who’s used to losing. After all, she spent her entire college career with the UConn Huskies–the most successful program in the country. Losing simply wasn’t part of the culture there. But Paige knew the W would be a whole different challenge. Joining a rebuilding team meant there would be early struggles, and she accepted that. For her, this season has always been about building strong relationships with her teammates-because that’s the foundation for any real success.

“I think I’ve come to that realization that I’ve been extremely blessed and fortunate to be in great situations in high school and in college,” Bueckers said. “It’s different in the W. You don’t see teams going undefeated, you don’t see a lot of single-loss seasons, which is something that the teams I’ve been playing on have not been accustomed to, so it’s definitely going to be an adjustment.”

It’s clear that, based on the first two games, the Dallas Wings don’t exactly look like a playoff team right now. But let’s not forget- just last year, the Indiana Fever made the playoffs after starting 2-8. Can the Wings pull off something similar? You wouldn’t want to bet against it, especially if Paige finds her rhythm as the season goes on. Stay tuned—we’ll be keeping a close eye on it.