Paige Bueckers ruled out late as Dallas Wings fall short again and turn focus to draft hopes and spoiler role

Agency_SAM Conor Clancy - SAM English Dallas Wings - English Paige Bueckers - English Sports WNBA - English

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Paige Bueckers was cleared to play just two hours before Dallas tipped off against the Sun. But in a late and unexpected reversal, the Wings ruled her out moments before the game began.

It was a tough break for a team already clinging to whatever hope it could find at the bottom of the table. With Bueckers unavailable and Arike Ogunbowale also sidelined, Dallas fought back from a double-digit deficit to bring the game within two points in the final minute. But the absence of their top scorers proved too much to overcome in a 101 to 95 loss.

The defeat marked their 30th of the season and officially dropped them to last place with a 9 and 30 record. While the postseason is no longer a possibility, the Wings are not mailing it in.

Dallas leans into spoiler role as season winds down

With their playoff chances gone, the Wings have embraced a new identity-one that could still have a big impact on the teams above them.

“Even though we’re not going to make the playoffs, there’s still things that we can fight for,” said Haley Jones after the game. “Chris has talked a lot about how we can play spoiler for a lot of these teams. Like seven, eight, nine, ten-they’re all really close in records, and we play a lot of them. So we can play spoiler. We could be the bad guy.”

Dallas has some influence left. Their remaining schedule includes the Dream, Sparks, Mercury, and Valkyries-all teams jockeying for playoff spots. The only outlier is the Minnesota Lynx, who have already qualified.

Among their opponents, the Valkyries’ storyline is especially compelling. Sitting seventh at 19 and 18, the league’s newest franchise is trying to secure a playoff berth in just its second season. Such a finish would boost Coach Natalie Nakase’s Coach of the Year campaign and set the franchise up for a big leap both competitively and commercially. But one misstep against Dallas could derail it all.

The Mercury are also in the postseason mix and looking to build momentum, while teams like the Sparks and Storm are still fighting for entry. For each of them, a loss to the last-placed Wings could change everything.

Chris Koclanes‘ team, meanwhile, has little to lose and plenty to test. “We can also think about building for next season,” said Jones. “We’re kind of buying into a young core here. So showing that we have something here is really big. And I think it’s also a pride thing. Like we’re not going to come out and roll over.”

Injury list grows as youth takes the spotlight

Still, Dallas is barely holding itself together physically. The team’s injury list reads like a full roster.

Tyasha Harris and JJ Quinerly are done for the season. Ogunbowale remains out with knee tendonitis. Li Yueru, who arrived in a midseason trade, is also sidelined for the rest of the campaign. In the latest setback, Luisa Geiselsoder and Aziaha James both left the court with injuries.

Even Bueckers, the team’s centerpiece, continues to deal with health concerns.

There are, however, a few positives. Maddy Siegrist is finding her rhythm again after recovering from a knee fracture. Amy Okonkwo is making the most of her temporary contract. And as Koclanes navigates through this challenging stretch, he is getting a deeper look at what the team could become.

Whether or not the Wings manage to pull off any upsets in the final weeks, their eyes are already turning toward the future.

Another No 1 pick could change everything

The most promising sign for Dallas might not come from the court but from the draft lottery odds. After their latest loss, the Wings now have a .231 win percentage for the season and a .228 mark over the past two years. That gives them a 40 percent chance at landing the top overall pick again in 2026.

General manager Curt Miller was ecstatic when the Wings won the 2025 lottery and the rights to select Bueckers. That moment was a high point in an otherwise difficult season. But if the ping pong balls fall their way again, Dallas could be set up for a dramatic turnaround.

UCLA center Lauren Betts is the current favorite to go first overall, but the Wings may already feel set in the frontcourt with Yueru and Geiselsoder. In that case, they might turn to another option-like Azzi Fudd, the highly skilled guard who also happens to be Bueckers‘ girlfriend. There is also Olivia Miles, who pushed her draft eligibility to 2026 and remains a top prospect.

The Indiana Fever have shown how quickly things can change. Back-to-back No 1 picks helped them move from the league’s basement to back-to-back postseason appearances. Dallas is hoping to follow that same path-or build something even better.

Offseason outlook could define the next chapter

Beyond the draft, Dallas will have key decisions to make. The 2026 offseason is expected to bring a wave of free agents depending on how the collective bargaining agreement plays out. That will shape the kind of veteran presence they can put around Bueckers and whoever they add next.

This season may have been defined by setbacks, but that does not mean it will be wasted. The Wings still have the chance to disrupt playoff races, test their young core, and make themselves a team to watch in 2026.

Bueckers may have missed the game, but her future in Dallas is still the centerpiece of everything the franchise hopes to build.

This news was originally published on this post .

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