TL;DR: Paige Bueckers will miss Monday’s matchup with the New York Liberty following her collision with Nneka Ogwumike. Dallas must replace its leading scorer during its first back-to-back of the season.
The Dallas Wings will pursue their seventh consecutive victory without Paige Bueckers, according to Fadeaway World. The two-time All-Star will not play Monday against the defending champion New York Liberty after leaving Sunday’s 90-82 win over the Los Angeles Sparks.
Wings coach Jose Fernandez lacked a definitive diagnosis immediately after the victory, but he shared Bueckers’ lighthearted response to the frightening moment.
“She’s upset at Azzi because she said Azzi tripped her [Nneka] and took away P’s charge,” Fernandez said, relaying Bueckers’ reaction involving rookie teammate Azzi Fudd.
The joke offered some relief after Bueckers went down in a collision with Sparks forward Nneka Ogwumike. Ogwumike stumbled into Bueckers while Dallas played defense, sending both stars crashing onto the College Park Center floor.
Bueckers remained down while holding her head before exiting the contest. Ogwumike also left following the play.
Paige Bueckers Controlled the Game Before Collision
Bueckers had delivered another standout performance before her departure. She scored 25 points on 10-of-18 shooting while producing five assists and four rebounds.
The reigning Rookie of the Year generated nine points during the fourth quarter as Dallas tried to hold off Los Angeles. She opened the period by knocking down her second 3-pointer, giving the Wings a 71-63 advantage.
Bueckers later moved through the lane after Fudd secured an offensive rebound, finishing a pass from Luisa Geiselsöder Shepard. She then used a screen from Li Yueru to escape Cameron Brink and connect on a fading attempt that forced Los Angeles to call timeout.
Another jumper with 4:45 remaining kept Dallas ahead 80-74. The performance continued an excellent second season in which Bueckers has averaged 20.7 points, 6.3 assists and 4.2 rebounds.
Her play has helped transform the Wings from a 10-win team last season into a 17-8 contender sitting fourth in the WNBA standings. Bueckers has also driven a six-game surge that has become one of the league’s biggest stories.
Dallas has never produced a longer winning streak since the franchise moved to the city in 2016.
Arike Ogunbowale, Azzi Fudd Face Larger Roles
Bueckers’ absence places more responsibility on Arike Ogunbowale and Fudd against New York.
Ogunbowale scored 20 points Sunday and helped Dallas close the game after Bueckers departed. She showed that she can become the primary offensive option when the Wings need someone to create shots late in a close contest.
Fudd also supplied an important all-around performance. The rookie finished with 11 points, four rebounds and three steals against Los Angeles. Dallas will need even more production from her while confronting a Liberty defense that rarely concedes comfortable scoring opportunities.
The schedule only increases the difficulty. Monday’s contest originally appeared on the calendar for Thursday, but mechanical trouble prevented New York’s charter plane from departing and forced the postponement.
That change left Dallas playing on consecutive days for the first time this season. The Wings must now adjust their rotation without Bueckers or a shootaround before facing the defending champions.
Dallas enters the game with a league-best 10 clutch victories. Odyssey Sims, who scored seven points off the bench Sunday, believes the Wings have developed the composure necessary to navigate difficult moments.
“You can see the growth,” Sims said. “We haven’t been panicking. We know what to do. It’s almost like we’ve been here before.”
That growth will face a significant test Monday. Bueckers has powered Dallas throughout its climb, but the Wings must now protect their historic winning streak without their leading scorer.
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