DiJonai Carrington Explains What Paige Bueckers Absence Means for Wings

On May 30, news broke that Dallas Wings rookie Paige Bueckers (who is averaging 14.7 points, 6.7 assists, 4.5 rebounds, and 2.0 steals per game after being the No. 1 pick in the 2025 WNBA Draft) would be missing the Wings' May 31 game against the Chicago Sky and their June 3 game against the Seattle Storm because she had been placed in concussion protocol.

When asked what went into Bueckers being placed in this protocol, Wings coach Chris Koclanes said, "You know, she didn’t really say anything [during the game]. And then yesterday, after the game, she said she was feeling like she had a headache. And then [Bueckers] said a couple of things about 'I was hit this time, that time.' And so that was the first of it."

Although Bueckers is still new to the WNBA, she has already proven to be an integral piece of the Wings' success, given her versatile scoring ability and playmaking prowess.

And Dallas guard DiJonai Carrington spoke to this before Saturday's game against the Sky.

"It's gonna be different. Everybody loves Paige, on and off the court," Carrington said when asked what not having Bueckers on the court will mean, per a TikTok post from @hustleinthehuddle.

"She's a leader, she's a calm presence. So everyone has to step up, it's not gonna be one person who makes up for what she provides for us, offensively and defensively. So it's gonna be by committee for sure," she continued.