Wings Facing Potential Paige Bueckers Decision After Confusing Injury Update

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Paolo Songco | Last updated Aug 7, 2025 7:51 PM ET

The Dallas Wings have fallen into another hole this season. They are currently in the midst of another losing streak that has now extended to three games.

Dallas will be looking to get out of this slump on Friday when it hosts the defending champs, the New York Liberty, at College Park Center.

This obviously won’t be an easy task for the Wings, as they face off against a powerhouse New York side that is coming off back-to-back wins. To make matters worse, Dallas will have a significant disadvantage against the Liberty after Paige Bueckers popped up on the injury report for the game.

The Wings have officially listed Bueckers as questionable to play due to a back injury. This development comes after the highly touted rookie missed practice on Thursday.

What makes this situation confusing, however, is that head coach Chris Koclanes said after practice that he expects Bueckers to play against New York. A questionable tag, especially when compared to a probable one, usually leans toward a player not suiting up for the upcoming game.

Either way, the Wings could be forced to make a crucial decision if Bueckers is unable to play on Friday. Koclanes will need to decide who will replace Bueckers if she sits out the game.

Rookie Azaiah James will likely get the nod to start in Bueckers’ place, but the backcourt duties will likely be split between her and JJ Quinerly, who is also playing in her first season. The rest of the squad may also need to contribute in a collective effort.

There’s no replacing Bueckers and what she brings to the table for this squad, but the Wings might not be left with any other choice if the Rookie of the Year frontrunner is ruled out on Friday.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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