Just like her collegiate career, Paige Bueckers’ rookie year in the WNBA hasn’t been without injury setbacks. But every time the No. 1 overall pick by the Dallas Wings has been sidelined, her teammate, and “sister”, DiJonai Carrington has stepped into a leadership role and delivered standout performances for the team.

She did it against the Seattle Storm when both Bueckers and backup Tyasha Harris were out, leading the Wings with 22 points and seven rebounds. And even in the following game against the Phoenix Mercury, she added 11 points and eight rebounds, showcasing her consistency as a key contributor and lineup stabilizer.

And it doesn’t stop there. When Bueckers briefly returned for the game in Chicago, Carrington still made her presence felt, matching the former Huskies star with 15 points apiece. That game underscored Carrington’s reliability as a second scorer and her adaptability under pressure.

Well, that’s the kind of impact the former Sun guard brings to her current team. But now, as the league’s bottom-ranked team faces yet another challenge, they need her more than ever. But can she rise to the occasion when she herself is battling her own struggles?

Wings face a challenge against Mercury, with DiJonai Carrington out!

No doubt, Carrington has stepped up for the Wings every time the team needed her, until now. But this time, she won’t be able to do so. According to ESPN, she’s still sidelined with a rib injury and will miss the upcoming game against the Phoenix Mercury.

Well, it’s not the first game Carrington will be missing; she’s been out since last week’s win against the Connecticut Sun. It all happened during the June 20th matchup against that very team when she stepped in to draw a charge and took a hard hit to the chest. It was later confirmed that she had suffered a rib injury. Just imagine how painful that must have been for the guard.

And this isn’t the first time Carrington has been banged up. Earlier in the season, during a game against the Mercury, Lexie Hull made a bad pass that Carrington stole. But as the ball slipped away, Satou Sabally grabbed it back. In photos from the game, you can clearly see Carrington’s hand trapped under Sabally’s as they battled for possession. That injury wasn’t considered major at the time, but this recent one is.

Though she’s not making a comeback just yet, there’s a positive update. As Head Coach Koclanes put it, “It was in that Connecticut game, late in that game. We turned it over, and then she stepped in to draw a charge—took a big hit right to the chest. But she’s improving daily.”

The Wings indeed need her to improve quickly, as this marks her fourth consecutive missed game this season. While there’s no official return date, the guard, who’s averaging 11.8 points and 5.1 rebounds, is expected to return soon based on the coach’s optimistic words. And she needs to, because the team isn’t in an ideal situation right now. Especially since PB, after logging nearly 37 minutes and contributing 27 points against the Fever, has now been ruled out for the next game versus the Mystics due to a right knee injury.

Coach Koclanes shared that the team is being cautious with Bueckers and added, “She’ll be back out on the floor sooner than you think.” But still, losing out on 18.4 points per game is far from ideal, especially when you’re talking about one of the fastest players in league history to reach 200 points, 50 rebounds, and 50 assists to begin a career. And with both PB and Nai out, the list of absences grows longer. Tyasha Harris is also out for the season with a left knee injury. So, you can imagine how tough it’s going to be for the Wings to pull off a win against the Mercury.

But can the Dallas Wings rise to the occasion?

Well, the Mercury are looking forward to another win streak on Thursday as they visit the Dallas Wings at College Park Center. While they’re coming off a tough loss against the Las Vegas Aces, they still hold the second position in the Western Conference with a 12–5 record. On the other hand, the Wings are coming off a 79–71 win in their last game, thanks to JJ Quinerly and Aziaha James, who led the scoring for Dallas with 15 points each.

Now standing at 5–13 and seventh in the Western Conference, the upcoming game won’t be easy for the Wings, especially in the absence of Paige Bueckers, Carrington, and Harris. However, rookies JJ Quinerly and Aziaha James will be stepping into expanded roles, as shared by Head Coach Koclanes.

“The more and more they get on the floor together, the more comfortable they get,” Koclanes said. “We were excited when we drafted them, and rookie seasons are up and down, but [I’m] just continuing to be really encouraged and excited with that draft class and their growth opportunities and their ceiling.”

While the rookies are expected to step up, they won’t be leading the team alone as HC also confirmed that Luisa Geiselsöder and Teaira McCowan, who were initially out due to international commitments at EuroBasket, are expected to rejoin the team for the game against the Mercury. But will that be enough? Stay tuned to find out!