When teams are fighting for a playoff spot, 3 teams are testing their rosters for the next season: Dallas Wings, Chicago Sky, and the Connecticut Sun. Out of three, Paige Bueckers’ Dallas will lock horns with the Sun when both will be desperate to avoid the last seed. Chris Koclanes’ team is at the very bottom of the league with a 9-29 record, and Meziane’s team isn’t far behind at 9-28, making it just a game’s difference. However, it appears that tough times may be getting even tougher for the Dallas Wings.

Their only win so far has been Paige Bueckers and her fantastic rookie season. Bueckers has been putting up 19 points and 5 assists in her first year, and she even broke the rookie single-game scoring record by dropping 44 on LA. There’s more on the records, but still the dream to play a playoff in the very first season is wrapped. However, it is still unclear whether the six-foot-tall point guard will be taking the floor on Wednesday night. But there seems to be some input from the Dallas Camp.

Wings insider Grant Afseth, while following the team’s practice ahead of their Connecticut clash, made a surprising addition to the injury report. “A few Dallas Wings practice updates: Paige Bueckers (illness) and Myisha Hines-Allen (personal) did not practice. Arike Ogunbowale (right knee) remains out. Serena Sundell participated after signing a 7-day hardship contract.” No one expected the six-foot-tall point guard to miss practice, let alone the game, but now her availability is being called into question. While nothing is confirmed as of now, Bueckers’ addition to the injury report as ‘day-to-day’ is certainly troubling for the Wings.

Dallas’ season is close to being over, and honestly, they’d probably want to go out all guns blazing, like what Tyler Marsh is trying to do in Chicago. But there’s an important question that Chris Koclanes would need to answer beforehand—are a few dead rubber wins worth the health of your star, especially when the regular season wraps up in 2 weeks?

Also, according to the EssentiallySports newsdesk, Paige Bueckers remains the undisputed Rookie of the Year favorite and has nothing else to prove in the remaining games. With the Wings’ season all but over, it makes far more sense to prioritize the long-term health of their No. 1 pick than risk aggravating an illness just for a couple of meaningless wins. Still, the final call rests with head coach Chris Koclanes, who has been fiercely protective of his young star all season.

The Dallas HC has been quite passionate regarding his team recently, regardless of all the criticism he receives. Recently, Koclanes spoke out against the unfair treatment that Paige Bueckers was getting every single game. Let’s find out exactly what happened with the Dallas Wings head coach.

“Something’s off there”: Dallas HC calls out the WNBA for unfair Paige Bueckers treatment

Paige Bueckers’ rookie season is definitely going down in the history books as one of the best. The Dallas Wings star didn’t miss a single beat, shifting from college basketball to the W. It seemed like she was born to succeed at this level, and who knows? Maybe she was. Bueckers couldn’t completely change Dallas’ fortunes, but she did show that she’s a star in the making.

Against the Valks, however, the script flipped. Normally, big names have a special whistle from the game officials. However, the Bay Area said no to that idea and gave Bueckers a huge reality check. The six-foot-tall guard was held to 9 points off 3-12 shooting, and only went to the free-throw line twice in the entire game.

The Valks coach had nothing but praise for her girls. “We knew it was going to be a team effort, so we matched her up with Kai (Kaila Charles), but at the end of the day, too, like it was a team defense,” Nakase said about guarding Bueckers. “Just credit to our whole team being locked in. Because she is not an easy coverage. Like she demands a lot of attention.” On the other hand, Dallas’ camp wasn’t as pleased.

Coach Chris Koclanes had a very interesting question for the referees after the game. “It was extremely physical,” Koclanes told reporters. “She was attacking the rim and playing in the paint downhill, and for her to only go to the free-throw line two times — something’s off there. How many times does she have to be on the ground before she gets protection?” After all, it just doesn’t make sense! Bueckers is used to drawing and playing through contact, which ideally should end up as a foul.

However, the referees turned a blind eye to the contact that was being drawn. Officiating has been a widely contested issue this year, with fans, legends, and coaches all weighing in on their methodologies and necessities. It will be interesting to see whether Cathy Engelbert and the WNBA can assess, hopefully before the playoffs, or definitely before the next season.

And as for Bueckers? She’s one tough cookie. To stick it out while being guarded by a bunch of hacks is no small feat, and we know the Dallas Wings rookie will be looking towards a brighter future still. Stay tuned for more info.