Dallas Wings Continue Without Point Guards as Paige Bueckers, Tyasha Harris Ruled Out vs. Los Angeles Sparks

The Dallas Wings are searching for answers and continuity in the absence of two key facilitators. Paige Bueckers remains in concussion protocol, and Tyasha Harris is sidelined with a left knee injury, leaving the team without a traditional point guard and necessitating significant adjustments to the offensive structure.

Bueckers mostly spent time on the exercise bike while the media observed Thursday’s practice. However, she later joined the team for post-practice shooting drills and remained on the court afterward to put up extra shots before departing. Meanwhile, Harris was on the training table while the practice occurred.

With no natural point guard available, the Wings devoted much of their practice time to cycling through offensive sets, including variations out of Horns, delay handoffs, and actions designed to free up Arike Ogunbowale, who often initiated sequences by ghost screening or flaring into space. The team also worked on second-side actions, such as step-up screens and corner pin-ins, to create advantages.

Over the last two games — a 94-83 loss at Chicago and an 83–77 defeat in Seattle — Dallas has been forced to adjust. Shot creation has suffered, half-court execution has been inconsistent, and fourth-quarter defense has struggled to hold up under pressure. The Wings led entering the fourth quarter in both games but were outscored by a combined margin of 17 in the final periods, highlighting the team’s difficulty in finishing games without a true point guard.

“It’s tough not having a point guard,” Ogunbowale said. “But at the end of the day, we’ve got to figure it out. Me and DiJonai [Carrington] are just trying to pick up the slack, figure out who’s taking the ball down and make it work.”

Stats tell the story of the struggles.

The lack of Bueckers and Harris has had a stark impact on the Dallas Wings’ efficiency. Dallas had ranked in the top five in offensive rating before Bueckers’ absence. Since losing her, the team has ranked ninth, posting 97.0 points per 100 possessions. The Wings are shooting 37.3% from the field and 25.7% from the perimeter over the last two games while committing 28 turnovers to just 33 assists.

The team has also averaged just 17.5 3-point attempts during that span, and they are relying heavily on drawing contact, leading the league with 25.5 free throw attempts per game. It hasn’t been enough to offset the dip in perimeter shot volume or efficiency.

Closing Time Concerns

Dallas’ scoring output has dipped from 85.3 points per game to 80.0, falling from third in the WNBA to eighth within those spans. Meanwhile, the defense has remained a work in progress. The Wings have allowed 88.5 points per game over the last two games — a marginal improvement over their previous 89.1 mark — but the inability to string together stops in crunch time has cost them.

“We play really good in spurts, but in the fourth quarter, we kind of let our foot off the gas a little bit,” Ogunbowale said. “Sometimes it’s just focus at the end, staying locked in, doing what we did to get the lead.”

In both recent losses, the fourth quarter has been where things unraveled. The Wings have allowed a staggering 132.6 points per 100 possessions in fourth quarters across those games, struggling to string together stops when it matters most. Offensively, the team has sputtered during those same stretches, shooting just 37.5% from the field in final periods — a stark drop from their first-half efficiency.

“We’re right there,” Ogunbowale said. “It’s not like we’re just getting blown out. It’s just little things we need to fix — taking good shots, getting back on defense, playing smart. We’ve had the lead in both games. Now it’s about closing.”

Carrington emphasized the need to execute more precisely in key moments, especially when the game tightens late. She pointed to shot selection and transition defense as critical areas that have contributed to the Wings’ recent struggles to close out games.

“We just gotta figure out how to finish games,” Carrington said. “How to lock in and get stops in the fourth quarter and convert on the other end. A lot of our missed layups or whatever led to them getting out in transition. I think our half-court defense was pretty good. So yeah, just take good shots and get back.”

Myisha Hines-Allen emphasized the need for late-game defensive focus, pointing to a pattern of the team falling just short when it matters most. She described how the Wings often compete hard for most of the game but struggle to maintain defensive intensity and discipline during the final stretch, particularly in close games where one or two stops can swing the result.

“That starts with defense,” Hines-Allen said. “We can score the ball, but we’re not getting enough stops, especially in crunch time. That four-minute mark — we have to learn to get stops.”

Chris Koclanes Preaches “Offense By Committee”

Head coach Chris Koclanes didn’t downplay the difficulty of operating without a true point guard on the floor. It’s a rare situation this early in a season that has tested the team’s structure and execution in recent games.

“Yeah, and not just Paige — we were also without Ty [Harris], so no true point guard on the floor,” Koclanes said. “JJ [Quinerly] off the bench is really our only true point guard, and she hasn’t played that position since high school. So there’s really no active point guard right now.”

Koclanes praised several players for stepping up and taking on new responsibilities amid the backcourt injuries, highlighting Carrington, Ogunbowale, and Hines-Allen for helping stabilize the offense through versatility and effort.

“I thought we did a good job — credit to DiJonai for really stepping up and initiating the offense, and Arike did that in stretches, too,” Koclanes said. “I think Myisha can do more to bring the ball up and get us into actions. It’s really a group effort right now — offense by committee. We’ll move people around to help them get free, find space, and get to spots where they can be successful.”

The Wings have had to reconfigure their offensive structure on the fly. That’s left Ogunbowale in a more fluid role — sometimes initiating the offense, sometimes playing off the ball, and frequently adapting possession to possession. While she remains the team’s primary scoring threat, the absence of a traditional floor general has required added flexibility and patience.

“I think just continuing to connect with her and help her, whether that’s off the ball or on the ball,” Koclanes said. “It’s tough when you’re playing without a couple of point guards. [DiJonai] has stepped in and filled that role for us, but it makes it even harder when those generals aren’t on the floor. So we’re continuing to find her shots, her spots, her comfort — whether that’s as the primary in the tunnel, on the wing or moving her. We’re exploring that, and she’ll keep getting more comfortable.”

Arike Ogunbowale, DiJonai Carrington Remain Optimistic

Ogunbowale has continued to carry a heavy burden on both ends as the Wings adjust without a floor general. She tallied 15 points, four rebounds, and two assists in Saturday’s loss to the Sky and followed with 8 points, three assists, and two steals against the Storm on Tuesday, though she struggled from the floor, going a combined 9-of-31 in those two games and 1-of-8 from beyond the arc.

Through the ups and downs, Ogunbowale has remained positive throughout the process. With many games left, one of the team’s prominent leaders emphasized that there was no time to panic. She remains encouraged that the progress she felt was being made regarding her chemistry with Bueckers will resume after she returns to the lineup.

“Like Coach said, we’re still figuring it out,” Ogunbowale said. “It’s still early. Obviously, we’ve been without a true point guard the last two games, so hopefully when we get Paige back, we can build a little bit of rhythm. But yeah, we’re still figuring it out.”

Carrington has taken on a larger role as a facilitator while still looking to stay aggressive as a scorer, adjusting to the added responsibility of initiating offense without a traditional point guard available.

“You just have to put people in the right position to be successful,” Carrington said. “Call things, have a feel for how the defense is guarding us, and decide what’s actually going to work. One thing I usually do is get out in transition, but now it’s more about coming back to the ball and making sure we have someone to outlet to.”

Carrington had 22 points, eight rebounds, and four assists in Seattle after posting 16 points and six assists in Chicago. She shot 5-of-15 against the Sky but bounced back with increased efficiency in the second outing.

“I think each game, we’re getting more comfortable. You can see it in the reduction of unforced turnovers,” Carrington explained. “We had 20 offensive boards. A lot of our shots were going in and out, but we crashed hard. And they’re a great offensive rebounding team, but we held them to three O-boards. That’s something we’ve been trying to emphasize.”

Carrington also pointed to execution in late-game situations as an area the team must improve to close out games, noting that missed opportunities and lapses in focus have turned winnable situations into frustrating losses. She emphasized the importance of staying composed, making smart decisions, and finding ways to execute under pressure, regardless of who is on the floor.

“We just have to finish. We’re pros — no excuses. If we make half of those shots, it’s a different outcome,” Carrington said. “So we’ve got to focus on finishing and pretend like the refs aren’t even there. Like we’re playing pickup in the driveway. No one’s calling anything. We need a new level of toughness down the stretch.”

JJ Quinerly Learning on the Fly, Myisha Hines-Allen Regroups

JJ Quinerly was temporarily thrust into backup point guard responsibilities despite being more naturally suited to playing off the ball. With both Bueckers and Harris sidelined, Quinerly’s development has accelerated out of necessity. In the May 31 loss to Chicago, she logged 11 minutes off the bench and recorded two points, three rebounds, three assists, one steal, and one block. She checked in late in the third quarter of the June 3 loss to Seattle but did not return, playing less than one minute on the floor.

“I’d say just trying to figure out how to get everybody the ball, knowing the plays and knowing where everyone needs to be,” Quinerly said. “I’ve played the two for a long time, so I’ve had that scorer’s mentality. Now I’ve had to shift my mindset a little bit. I’m still that defender, and I can still score, but now I’m learning to figure out where everybody’s supposed to be and how to facilitate to get them where they need to go.”

While Quinerly acknowledged the value of film sessions and conversations behind the scenes, she emphasized that real-time reps in game situations have been the most impactful in her transition to playing point guard.

“Yeah, I’d say the vets have helped a lot,” Quinerly added. “And of course, watching film has helped, too. But honestly, just playing and actually doing it is what’s helping most. I’m a visual learner, so going out there and getting those reps has definitely helped.”

Hines-Allen delivered a bounce-back game after a challenging game in Chicago (one point, four turnovers) with 16 points, 12 rebounds, three assists, and two steals in Seattle.

“It’s important for everyone to step up, especially right now — we’re missing two of our point guards,” Hines-Allen said. “We are leaning on [Ogunbowale] and [Carrington] to lead us. What [Carrington] does defensively — she’s the head of the snake.”

Frontcourt Depth Steps Up

Maddy Siegrist has helped anchor the frontcourt, scoring 11 points in each of the last two games and grabbing 8.5 total rebounds per game, with 11 offensive rebounds combined. Her ability to move off the ball and hunt mismatches has given Dallas extra possessions and rim pressure.

“When I’m at the four, I try to set a lot of pick-and-rolls, pick-and-pops, and just make the defense have to make a lot of decisions,” Siegrist said. “No matter how many shots I get, I try to focus on creating extra possessions, offensive rebounds, and running in transition.

“When I’m taking the ball out for them in the frontcourt, I try to help them get into things quickly,” she added. “We all have to do our part to make it easier on them.”

Luisa Geiselsöder added six points, three rebounds, and three blocks in Seattle while continuing to grow into her rotation role. Defensively, she showcased her versatility by playing higher up in ball screen coverage, frequently hedging and recovering to disrupt the Storm’s pick-and-roll actions. Her presence as a weak-side defender has also stood out, as she contests layups, stalling drives on stunts, and timely rotations to close gaps. Teaira McCowan was limited to five minutes but racked up two points and five boards.

“It takes chemistry, and I feel like that’s getting better every game,” Geiselsöder said. “We can switch, hedge, trap — we have a lot of tools. I think it’s going to make us even more dangerous.”

Ogunbowale also singled out Geiselsöder for praise, noting her consistent effort and commitment to details.

“She did great,” Ogunbowale said. “She followed the game plan, always asked questions, always tried to be in the right spot. She really helped us.”

Next Steps: Close Games, Regain Rhythm

Dallas (1–7) will host Los Angeles at 8:30 p.m. CT Friday at College Park Center. The game will be broadcast nationally on ION and streamed via WNBA League Pass. Despite the injuries and early struggles, the team remains focused on building the foundation needed for future success.

“We’re right there,” Koclanes said. “We’ve been in every game. We’re not making excuses. We just need to lock in every possession and trust that the work will pay off.”