Even in pain, Paige Bueckers made history. The Wings guard recently rolled her ankle in the Dallas Wings’ latest win against the Phoenix Mercury, but it didn’t stop her from recording 31 points on the night without a free throw. Now, after this emphatic performance, Bueckers has shared an update about her ankle injury.

“I kind of just rolled. Kind of gave out a little bit on the rebound, and that’s why I don’t be rebounding,” Bueckers said in the post-game presser as per beat reporter Melissa Triebwasser. “But once it rolls, it rolls right back. So, just had to go in the back and get taped.”

“Adrenaline is the best drug. So, didn’t really feel it during the game. Just wanted to power through and help the team get a win. And I’m sure I’ll do everything possible to get recovered and have it feeling better by tomorrow,” the Wings guard added.

The moment came in the second quarter of the game when Bueckers rolled her ankle, which she later revealed was during a rebound. As visuals shared by beat reporter Grant Afseth show, the Wings guard limped as she moved to the locker room.

It seemed pretty serious and concerning in the first place, especially given that Bueckers has a history of right ankle injuries. For instance, the Wings guard went through surgery on the same ankle in 2021 during her time with the UConn Huskies.

But Bueckers managed to check back into the game and continued her scoring spree. It suggests that her ankle injury might not be severe enough to force her to miss any upcoming game. Her tone in the press conference also suggests that Bueckers is doing just fine.

Nevertheless, the Dallas Wings medical team will continue to monitor Bueckers’ injury over the next few days. Her second-half scoring numbers were nowhere near as impressive as what she produced in the first half. Bueckers poured in 24 points before the break, including 11 in the opening quarter alone, according to ESPN. Even so, there did not appear to be any major limitations in her movement, which should come as an encouraging sign for the Wings.

Overall, Paige had an emphatic performance on the night. The Wings guard recorded a season-high 31 points and did so without attempting a single free throw. As per a post shared by Real App, Bueckers had the most points this season in a game without scoring a free throw.

Furthermore, she is the 10th overall player in the history of the WNBA, as per @trendyhoopstars, to record a 30+ scoring night without a free throw. Bueckers scored 70% from the field, going 14 of 20 while shooting 3 of 5 from beyond the arc.

Besides her historic scoring night, Paige Bueckers also recorded 6 rebounds and 5 assists to anchor the Dallas Wings’ offense. Bueckers started her scoring right after tipoff. 

“I think as a team we just wanted to respond, and it starts with our aggression on both ends of the floor. I thought we had a really good first quarter in what we wanted to execute coming out of our game a few nights ago,” Bueckers said in the post-game presser when asked about her performance.

This win was exactly the response the Wings needed. Just two days earlier, they had been blown out 100-76 by the Minnesota Lynx and were looking to quickly put that result behind them.

“A huge part of this league is all about response. Nights like the other night happen. You can’t let it become a habit. You can’t let it become something you get accustomed to. We just tried to respond to that. We had a game in less than 48 hours, so it was about resting, recovering, and getting our minds right. That was our response tonight,” Bueckers said in the postgame press conference, as per ClutchPoints.

With this win, the Wings notched their fifth win in six games and improved to 8-4. They dominated from start to finish, never allowing the Mercury to take the lead. Dallas shot 52% from the field, outrebounded Phoenix 37-30, and scored 23 points off 16 turnovers. For the Mercury, it capped off yet another disappointing night as they suffered their 10th loss of the season.

After Bueckers’ performance against the Phoenix Mercury, head coach Jose Fernandez was also quick to heap praise on his franchise player.

Jose Fernandez Dissects the Bigger Picture Behind Paige Bueckers’ Performance

The Dallas Wings-Phoenix Mercury game had a very special guest, Kara Lawson. The USA Women’s Basketball team head coach was part of the broadcast on Thursday. And Dallas head coach Jose Fernandez believes Lawson’s presence helped fuel Bueckers’ performance even more.

“I mean, there’s a comfort level to her. You know, when she gets going, it’s easy for me to put her at the elbow, at the nail, and post her up,” Fernandez said in the post-game presser. “And that’s why she’s one of the best in the world. I think she wanted to show Kara and play well in front of Kara, too. She was doing the game.”

Of course, any player would want to impress their national team coach. Particularly with the FIBA World Cup scheduled later this year, Bueckers would want to make a strong impression on Lawson. But to be honest, these stellar performances have been a staple of Bueckers this season.

Paige Bueckers has been the cornerstone of the Dallas Wings this season. The Wings guard has been averaging 19+ points in the season while also recording 5+ assists and 3+ rebounds, as per WNBA.com. She is one of the most important reasons behind Dallas’ comfortable position this season.

The Dallas Wings are currently 8-4 and will face the Portland Fire on June 13 at the Moda Center.