Paige Bueckers not needed in Dallas Wings win over Washington Mystics

Rodney Knuppel

Paige Bueckers not needed in Dallas Wings win over Washington Mystics image

Paige Bueckers did not play in Saturday’s game for the Dallas Wings. She was one of several players listed on the initial injury report just hours before tipoff.

Despite Bueckers’ absence, the Dallas Wings got off to a red-hot start and never looked back. The Wings jumped out to a 28-9 lead after the first quarter and led 45-31 at halftime. Washington made a push in the second half, but Dallas held on for a 79-71 victory.

With the win, Dallas improved to 5-13 on the season. The five wins tie the Wings with Los Angeles for sixth place in the Western Conference. The Sparks enter Sunday’s game against the Chicago Sky with a 5-11 record.

Dallas saw four players score in double figures in the win, including two off the bench. Aziaha James logged 31 minutes and scored 15 points, while Myisha Hines-Allen added 13 points in the same amount of playing time. Among the starters, JJ Quinerly, who started in place of Bueckers, scored 15, and Arike Ogunbowale added 14.

The Wings were without their top scorer, as Bueckers is averaging 18.4 points, 5.8 assists, and 35.6 minutes per game across 13 appearances this season.

Washington was led by Sonia Citron, who recorded a double-double with 22 points and 10 rebounds in the loss.

Dallas will now get a few days off before returning to action on Thursday at home against the Phoenix Mercury. Wings head coach Chris Koclanes said he believes Bueckers should be good to go for that game.

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Rodney Knuppel

Rodney Knuppel is a freelance writer for The Sporting News. When not watching, listening or writing about sports, Rodney enjoys following the travels of his three kids, who are all active in their own sports and activities. A huge St. Louis Cardinals fan, Rodney also enjoys St. Louis Blues hockey and is a big Kansas Jayhawks basketball fan.