The Dallas Wings won 90-82 against the Los Angeles Sparks on Sunday. However, Paige Bueckers and Nneka Ogwumike collided head-on midgame. While there is no official update on Bueckers’ status, head coach Jose Fernandez did give an update on her behalf, and the pun was fully intended.
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“Yeah, well Paige went down. She’s upset at Azzi. She said Azzi tripped her [Nneka] and took away P’s charge,” he said, as per a post shared by The IX Sports‘ Melissa Triebwasser.
With 3:33 left in the fourth quarter, Ogwumike drove towards the Wings’ basket from the center. Azzi Fudd tripped her just before the free throw line, which resulted in Ogwumike colliding with Paige Bueckers, who fell and hit her head on the court. While Ogwumike was able to finish the remainder of the game, Bueckers couldn’t continue.
The impact appeared quite severe at first, as Ogwumike landed on Bueckers’ knee while both players simultaneously hit the ground hard. However, it was heartwarming to see both players hug it out after getting back on their feet.
Bueckers could not add to her tally of 25 points after the incident, but still finished as the team’s leading scorer for the night. Arike Ogunbowale scored 20 points, and Jessica Shepard added another 11 points and grabbed 14 rebounds.
Paige Bueckers is leading the Wings’ offense this season, averaging 20.7 points, 6.3 assists, and 4.2 rebounds per game.
The win marks a new record milestone for the Wings, as they extend their winning streak to a franchise-record six games. With a 17-8 record for the season, the Wings now occupy 4th place in the standings. A very comfortable place to be in as we approach the All-Star weekend, where Bueckers, if fit, is expected to play as a starter.
While Bueckers is still expected to feature during All-Star weekend if healthy, the Wings have already ruled her out of their upcoming game against the New York Liberty. The team confirmed that she avoided a concussion and will not enter the league’s concussion protocol, but she will miss the contest because of soreness. Her status beyond that game remains to be seen.
For the Sparks, the window to make the playoffs is closing fast. With a 10-15 record, they sit in 10th place in the league table. The Sparks have now lost four consecutive games.
Ariel Atkins was also fined $500 after fouling Paige Bueckers earlier in the game. Atkins was given a Flagrant 1 foul in the second quarter of the game after committing a reckless challenge on Bueckers. Atkins now has two flagrant points for the season. A player receives a one-game suspension after accumulating four flagrant points. The Sparks and Atkins would need to exercise caution going forward, as losing a player to suspension would not be ideal.
The Sparks will hope to snap their skid in their next game against the Phoenix Mercury, and Dallas will hope that Paige Bueckers’ injury is nothing serious as we approach the All-Star break.