The Dallas Wings will look to secure their first win of the season on Wednesday night against the Minnesota Lynx, and for Paige Bueckers, the matchup brings added meaning.
The Edina native and former Hopkins High School standout is set to play her first WNBA game in her home state. Despite the emotions surrounding the homecoming, Bueckers has remained focused on the task at hand.
“I’m always happy to be back home,” Bueckers said. “I’m excited to play here, but I’m even more excited just to play the game.”
The Wings (0-2) opened the season with a 99-84 loss to Minnesota before falling 79-71 to Seattle on Monday night. In that opener, Dallas kept things close at halftime before being overwhelmed by a third-quarter onslaught led by Napheesa Collier, who finished with 34 points, four rebounds, and four assists, and Courtney Williams, who added 25 points and nine assists. The Lynx (2-0) shot 68.4% in the third, outscoring Dallas by 15 in the frame.
“I think our defense on the point of attack, and Courtney Williams and Phee’s ability to really get whatever they wanted out of the pick and roll — so I think we need to be better at the point of attack and trying to congest the paint,” Bueckers told DallasHoopsJournal.com. “Not let so many easy touches, paint touches in there where they get out and spray and make the extra pass and get great movement on offense.”
“Just trying to get more in transition, trying to get more paint touches, trying to get more changing sides of the floor,” she continued to DallasHoopsJournal.com. “But I think Phee and Courtney really killed us in the first game, so trying to clean it up on that end.”
Bueckers has averaged 14.5 points, 6.0 rebounds, and 5.0 assists through her first two WNBA games. She’ll have a large crowd in attendance Wednesday night, with friends, family, and former teammates from Hopkins and AAU all expected to be in the building.
“Just to have them here means everything to me,” Bueckers said. “They’ve been a huge part of my story in getting here.”
For veteran forward Myisha Hines-Allen, a former member of the Washington Mystics and Lynx now in her first year with the Wings, the success Minnesota experiences starts at the top with head coach Cheryl Reeve.
“It honestly starts from Cheryl,” Hines-Allen told DallasHoopsJournal.com. “She’s a great leader, and everyone follows suit. They have phenomenal players over there that want to win together. They’re not worried about individual accolades, which goes a long way when trying to build something special, or keep something going, which they’ve done.”
When asked about the challenge of guarding Collier, Hines-Allen emphasized the need for team execution, making it essential to alter touches instead of giving her deep touches.
“There’s not one person in this league that can stop her,” Hines-Allen told DallasHoopsJournal.com. “It’s a team effort. You just try to all be on the same accord, trying to limit her touches or alter some of her shots. She’s going to make tough shots — you just want to make her life harder.”
She added that facing a team like Minnesota twice in the opening stretch could benefit Dallas in the long run, providing the team multiple chances to execute and study film against a top opponent.
“They’re a well-oiled machine, offensively and defensively,” Hines-Allen emphasized to DallasHoopsJournal.com. “It’s going to help us in the long run — watch film and grow our games as a team.”
Maddy Siegrist, who has scored in double figures in each of the Wings’ first two games, emphasized the importance of building from their early-season performances, especially in a quick turnaround rematch with the Lynx.
“Every game we’re just trying to get a little bit better,” Siegrist told DallasHoopsJournal.com. “Seeing them, it’s fresh in our mind. So just try to grow from that and be better tonight.”
Siegrist has averaged 11.5 points, 3.0 rebounds, and 1.0 steals while shooting 50.0% from the field and 42.9% from three-point range through two games. She credited her offseason work as a foundation for her strong start.
“Just preparation,” Siegrist told DallasHoopsJournal.com. “Obviously, all the work you put in during the offseason, you want that to come to light during the season. But I’m just trying to do the best I can every night, knowing that’s probably going to be a little different each game. Your role shifts, but I just try to be consistent on both sides of the basketball.”
Defensively, Siegrist highlighted the difficulty in containing Lynx forward Napheesa Collier, whose scoring versatility and two-way impact present a significant challenge for any matchup.
“She scores on so many levels,” Siegrist explained to DallasHoopsJournal.com. “Even when she’s not scoring, she’s impacting the game. So you just gotta be alert the whole time you’re guarding her. And obviously she’s a great defender as well.”
She added that defending a player like Collier requires a team-wide commitment to switching coverages, applying pressure, and staying connected throughout the possession.
“With any great player, you’ve got to just throw a lot at them,” Siegrist told DallasHoopsJournal.com. “Obviously she’s good enough, she’s going to navigate a lot. But just trying to make it tough for her early.”
On the offensive end, Siegrist believes pace, movement, and opportunism are essential against Minnesota’s disciplined defense.
“You’ve got to keep the ball swinging from both sides,” Siegrist detailed to DallasHoopsJournal.com. “And I think extra possessions — if you can get any offensive rebounds, transitions — you’ve got to take everything you can get.”
“They’re a great defensive team,” she added. “They’re always going to have a crowd, they rotate well, and they make a lot of smart basketball plays. So you’re not going to get too many wide, wide open looks — you’ve got to capitalize when you do.”
Luisa Geiselsöder’s arrival has been five years in the making. The German center was drafted by Dallas with the No. 21 pick in 2020, but remained in Europe for further development. She joined the Wings last week after helping lead Basket Landes to the LFB championship in France, averaging 11.4 points, 8.2 rebounds, 3.0 assists, and 1.2 blocks per game.
Her official activation came just ahead of Monday’s game, though her WNBA debut remains pending due to recent travel, medical evaluations, and missed shootarounds.
“It’s fun. It’s really fun,” Geiselsöder detailed to DallasHoopsJournal.com. “The girls really welcomed me openly and warmly. It’s new — a little overwhelming in the beginning — but all in all, I feel really comfortable with the girls and the whole organization. It’s amazing.”
Geiselsöder noted the adjustment to the WNBA’s pace and structure, particularly the defensive three-second rule, which differs from FIBA play.
“The first thing is the defensive three seconds,” Geiselsöder emphasized to DallasHoopsJournal.com. “And then everything is just faster. There’s more interaction. In Europe, we have more set plays — you really have your way to go. Here, it’s freer basketball. You can actually show your style and play more.”
Despite missing training camp, Wings general manager Curt Miller remains confident in her fit.
“She’s a whole training camp behind,” Miller said. “But we’re excited for her potential. She’s a really versatile post player — she can score at multiple levels, protect the rim, and stretch the floor.”
Geiselsöder credited Arike Ogunbowale and Bueckers for helping her quickly acclimate.
“Arike helped from the beginning,” Geiselsöder told DallasHoopsJournal.com. “She reached out to me pretty early. Paige was always there. Honestly, every time I need something I can ask no matter who — they’re all really open to help me.”
Geiselsöder hopes to contribute with a versatile offensive skill set, whether spacing the floor or operating from the low block.
“I want to show a little of my footwork in the low post, which I feel really comfortable with,” Geiselsöder told DallasHoopsJournal.com. “And shoot the three when I’m open. But most importantly, I want to help my teammates — setting good screens, making cuts to get them open, making good passes. Just doing what the team needs in that moment.”
Her decision to join Dallas was driven by the team’s evolving identity and long-term vision.
“It’s a new start. It’s a whole new team trying to find its chemistry, so it’s fun for me to be in this environment and help build something new,” Geiselsöder explained to DallasHoopsJournal.com. “I hope something exciting—something big.”
Tipoff is set for 7 p.m. CT at Target Center, with local broadcast on KFAA29 and streaming available on WNBA League Pass. It marks the second of four matchups between the Wings and Lynx this season, with the next meeting set for June 8 in Arlington.
Dallas will continue its four-game road trip with Atlanta, Connecticut, and Chicago stops.
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Brittney Griner was ejected from the Atlanta Dream’s game against the Dallas Wings on Wednesday night after she had another heated exchange with a WNBA official. Griner was called for a foul while fighting for a rebound early in the third quarter of Atlanta’s 88-85 win at College Park Center in Arlington, Texas. She was unhappy with the call and began arguing about it with referee Angelica Suffren, who assessed Griner a technical foul. Rather than walking away, Griner continued to express her displeasure and tried to get into Suffren’s face as the ref was heading to the scorer’s table. A Dream came over to remove Griner from the situation, but it was too late. Griner received a second technical foul and was ejected. It looked like contact was made with Suffren, which is likely why the second technical was called. The contact appeared to come when the Atlanta staffer stepped in to separate Griner from the official. Griner, who finished with 4 points and 4 rebounds, continued to yell toward Suffren as Griner made her way to the locker room. Griner has a history of berating officials when things don’t go her way. She even interrupted her own halftime interview during a game earlier this year to curse at an officiating crew.
First-year head coach Brian Schottenheimer has been trying to instill civility at practice when tempers flare, but he has no choice but to stay idle as the Dallas Cowboys front office and Micah Parsons face off at training camp. On Friday, Parsons took to social media to announce he sent executive vice president Stephen Jones a request to be traded from the Cowboys. "Unfortunately I no longer want to be here," Parsons wrote, per a post on X. "I no longer want to be held to close door negotiations without my agent present. "I no longer want shots taken at me for getting injured while laying it on the line for the organization our fans and my teammates. I no longer want narratives created and spread to the media about me." Dallas didn't appear fazed by Parsons' request. Per Dianna Russini of The Athletic, the Cowboys have no plans to trade Parsons this summer, though multiple teams will plan to inquire about the three-time All-Pro pass-rusher. "The Dallas Cowboys have no intention of trading Micah Parsons, per sources," Russini posted on X. "Still, teams around the league are planning to reach out to check on his availability today." The Cowboys selected Parsons with the No. 12 pick in the 2021 draft. The four-time Pro Bowl nominee has recorded 256 tackles and 52.5 sacks during his four years in the league. The former Penn State standout has appeared and started in 63 games. Parsons missed four games last year due to an ankle injury. The Cowboys front office could have made the situation better by talking with Parsons' agent and keeping any issues with the star pass-rusher in-house. The Cowboys have another preseason distraction. This one is of their own making.
In the absence of progress at the negotiating table, Terry McLaurin went public with a trade request on Thursday. The chances of the Commanders dealing him away have long been viewed as low, and that remains the case at this point. A number of teams inquired with Washington about McLaurin prior to the news of his trade request. As Nicki Jhabvala and Dianna Russini of The Athletic report, though, the Commanders informed suitors they have no plans of moving on from the two-time Pro Bowler. The sides remain at an impasse regarding extension talks, so interest on the trade front will no doubt continue until and unless an agreement is reached. Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated notes a number of issues (including overall value and guarantees) are yet to be resolved in McLaurin’s case. That differs from, for instance, the case of Trey Hendrickson and the Bengals. The AAV of a new Cincinnati agreement appears to have been hammered out, but the sides are at an impasse with respect to guaranteeing more than the first year of any new pact. It remains to be seen general manager Adam Peters and the Commanders will be willing to reach or surpass $30M per year on a long-term contract. While remarking on the situation, one general manager told Russini they liken this case to that of Haason Reddick from last year. Reddick engaged in lengthy holdout with the Jets while seeking an extension following his trade from the Eagles. In the end, a short-term compromise was made but Reddick’s debut was delayed until Week 8 and he departed in free agency after an underwhelming campaign. Any similar absence through the regular season — something which, to be clear, McLaurin has not yet threatened — would of course be highly detrimental to a Commanders team aiming to duplicate last year’s run to the NFC title game. During a Friday appearance on the "Rich Eisen Show" (video link), NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero said a trade cannot completely be ruled out at this point. The Patriots are known to be a potential suitor in the event Peters’ approach changes and consideration is given to a swap. Such a move would leave Washington with trade acquisition (and pending 2026 free agent) Deebo Samuel atop the WR depth chart. However, the Commanders have a star quarterback on a rookie contract, opening up a clear competitive window for them to build around Jayden Daniels before he commands a market-level salary. That would seem to include investing in a perennial thousand-yard threat like McLaurin — who already has an impressive rapport with his young QB. Coming to an agreement with the soon-to-be 30-year-old feels like an inevitability, whether it be before Week 1 or partway into the regular season.
The Los Angeles Lakers were hunting for a center for most of the offseason after being eliminated in the first round of the playoffs. They knew they needed an upgrade from Jaxon Hayes. While the Lakers didn't get any of the top centers on the free agent market, they were able to sign Deandre Ayton after he was bought out. Another center would be a better fit, but he wasn't available in the offseason. Nikola Vucevic has been linked to the Lakers dating all the way back to the trade deadline, although Vucevic was not moved. More news: Lakers Make Massive Announcement Ahead of 2025-26 Season The Lakers would only be interested in Vucevic if he were to be bought out, according to Anthony Irwin of ClutchPoints. Los Angeles will not be pursuing a trade to acquire Vucevic. After bringing in Ayton on a two-year deal, it wouldn't make sense to trade assets in order to bring in Vucevic. They want to see what Ayton can do before bailing on him already. The Lakers needed a starting center, as that was their biggest need heading into the offseason. While Ayton isn't the greatest option, he is someone who can help the team with what he brings to the table. The Bulls seem to think that Vucevic can still help them win games and contend for the playoffs in what will be a very weak Eastern Conference next season. If things don't go well by the time the trade deadline arrives, the Bulls might decide to buy him out if they aren't in the playoff picture. That would be the only scenario in which the Lakers bring him in. More news: Lakers Rumors: NBA Insider Provides Massive Update on Luka Doncic Extension The Lakers are always looking to improve the roster whenever possible. They aren't worried about hurting feelings, so they wouldn't hesitate to offer Vucevic a contract if they thought he was better than Ayton. With LeBron James entering the end of his career, the Lakers are going to try to win the title as quickly as possible while he is still on the roster. Last season with the Bulls, Vucevic averaged 18.5 points, 10.1 rebounds, and 3.5 assists per game. He shot 53 percent from the field and 40.2 percent from beyond the 3-point arc. More news: Former Lakers Castoff All-Star Linked to East Team in Free Agency For more news and notes on the Los Angeles Lakers, visit Los Angeles Lakers on SI.