After briefly flirting with the idea that “less is more,” the Dallas Wings are learning that “less” just means less. Fresh off a win against Phoenix, it almost seemed like Dallas was turning their injury woes into a weird kind of superpower. But then came Phoenix again, and now, Chicago. The 87–76 loss to the Sky wasn’t just disappointing. It was the kind of game that screams, “we should have had this” – as cliched as that may sound. The Sky came in with a 6–13 record, being one of only two teams trailing Dallas in the standings. But the Wings rolled into the Wintrust Arena with only 8 available players, and that has been the case for the team’s last five fixtures. Their record in this stretch? Just 2-3.

So, with injuries piling up like laundry, the team has been forced into adjusting on the fly, mixing and matching lineups, and hoping something sticks long enough to stay competitive. After Wednesday’s loss, head coach Chris Koclanes was asked about managing player roles through the chaos. “It’s just been lots of inconsistencies with our roster, right? Who is available,” Koclanes stated.” Just been a lot of different plug-and-play, who is it tonight? With all that being said, still confident in this group.” He further tried defending his players who have been shouldering the wrath lately.

“They’re only going to be better for living through these experiences… that’s a lot of minutes that these players have never logged and what we’re asking them to do. To shoulder the weight of scoring as well,” Koclanes added. But how long can tough nights be chalked up as “learning experiences”? That seems to be the quiet question hanging in the air, one that two Dallas Wings players appear to be asking as well.

A big issue for Dallas has been shooters getting too hot against them, and JJ Quinerly addressed it pretty honestly. “I think we just need to be aggressive and like I said take that stand. And make sure that the player, whoever is getting hot at the time, is not hitting those shots.” The five-foot-eight guard said.

For the third consecutive outing, the Dallas Wings tipped off with a lineup that could double as a college all-star team: rookies Jannah Quinerly, Paige Bueckers, Aziaha James, Luisa Geiselsöder, and Li Yueru. After giving up the first four points, Dallas came to life with a 10–0 surge led by Bueckers, briefly grabbing control of the game. Newly re-signed Haley Jones also chipped in with four points off the bench in her 15-minute return. The Wings were within striking distance after the first quarter, trailing just 19–18, and stayed in it until late in the second, when Chicago closed the half on a 10–2 run that gave the Sky a 45–37 lead at the break.

Then, midway through the third, Dallas actually clawed back to take a 55–54 lead, before Rebecca Allen decided that was quite enough. The veteran torched the Wings with 15 points in the third quarter alone, going 5-of-6 from the field and a perfect 3-of-3 from beyond the arc, shifting the game’s momentum completely as she went hot against the Wings. But to Koclanes, who was happy about guarding Ariel Atkins well, this was just a gap in experience. “You give them grace, right? That’s three rookies out there who are living through this,” Koclanes said. “Rebecca Allen is a veteran. These players understand things, move off the ball, and have smarts that our rookies are learning and experiencing firsthand.”

Fair enough. But another Wings player echoed the same ideas as Quinerly. The Wings’ new center, Yueru, had a pretty neat game! The six-foot-seven hooper from China had 18 points and shot an astounding 4-7 from three. However, she still maintained that the team needs to be better defensively. “I feel we need to do more things, more tough defense, and we’ll figure out something like we need to give them more pressure.”

This loss puts Paige Bueckers and Dallas in a rather precarious position. They just can’t seem to win against the Chicago Sky! Angel Reese’s team pulled off a clean sweep against the Wings for this season, winning all three matchups decisively. Not to mention, their winning streak goes as far back as May 2024. Naturally, the backlash has followed, with much of the criticism zeroing in on the No. 1 overall pick. But if Paige Bueckers is feeling the pressure, she’s not showing it.

Paige Bueckers opens up about dealing with criticism ahead of crucial Indiana fixture

In terms of the hype that was around her, Paige Bueckers is certainly delivering on every promise she didn’t make! Aside from her stats, which are quite impressive on their own, Bueckers has proven that the lights aren’t too bright, and no level is too tough for someone as tough as her. She’s leading Dallas in both points and assists per game, and her impact on the court? Gigantic.

But with everything that is going right for the rookie, an equal number of things are going wrong. Firstly, she hasn’t been as healthy as fans would’ve liked. Her knee issues keep flaring up, and the Dallas guard has taken quite a few games off so far. Secondly, the attention she gets isn’t always positive. As the star of the team, even as a rookie, Paige Bueckers is viewed under a microscope each and every night, with critics desperately trying to call her a bust.

According to Bueckers, however, it doesn’t bother her. “I don’t live to anybody else’s expectations or what I’m supposed to look like,” The Wings rookie said via AP’s Schuyler Dixon. “I just go out there and play every single game and every single possession as it is. And the results may vary. So whatever that looks like on any given night, you live with the results.”

This is the mindset that has led to her getting an All-Star nod in just her rookie year. It’s clear as day that Paige Bueckers has got what it takes to hang around with the best-of-the-best; she just needs the right pieces to go along with her. It will be interesting to see how the Dallas Wings recover from their losing streak and if they can make a mid-season comeback. Stay tuned for all the action!