Since the franchise relocated to Dallas and rebranded, success has been pretty scarce. Over the last nine seasons, they’ve only made the playoffs five times, and four of those ended with a quick first-round exit. So, even this year, nobody was really expecting a deep playoff run. But with the No.1 pick Paige Bueckers joining and some big arrivals, a playoff spot at least seemed doable for the Dallas Wings. Well, it’s still early days, but so far, the Wings have been more of a flop show than anything else.
Just last week, there was finally some hope. They got into the win column after beating the Connecticut Sun, and fans were starting to feel good. Then came the Chicago Sky, and back-to-back losses. And it looks like chaos is still brewing inside the locker room. While from the outside it seemed like things were clicking before Paige went down with that concussion, behind the scenes…not so much.
Coach Chris Koclanes himself admitted, “We’re going to explore all sorts of different combinations and lineups until we settle into, you know, what works, and that might look different from night to night.” That means, the Wings don’t really have a set game plan or stable lineup yet, it’s all kinda up in the air.
Now, with both their point guards – Paige Bueckers and Tyasha Harris – out, the expectation was that Arike Ogunbowale would slide into the point guard role, DiJonai Carrington would shift to shooting guard, and that would open a spot on the wing for Maddy Siegrist to start. Siegrist, one of only three returning Wings, brings size on the perimeter, rebounding, and off-ball scoring. She did get into the lineup, but it was actually Nai who took over starting the offense.
Plus, the team has been mixing things up position-wise, like using Myisha Hines-Allen – normally a forward – as a small-ball center to take advantage of her versatility and defense. Still, they haven’t quite nailed it. Slow starts, turnovers, and inconsistency have been real issues. After their recent 83-94 loss to Chicago, when asked about the drop in three-point attempts and if avoiding the three was some new strategy, Coach Koclanes said, “We want to shoot threes, um, I think it’s just about finding that balance. Like, I thought we were really aggressive to the rim – we got to the free-throw line 30 times – but yeah, just gotta find that balance.”
And it’s not just that one game. The three-ball just hasn’t been falling, even against the Atlanta Dream, it was the same story. The HC was also asked about all these close losses and what it’ll take to close that gap. In a Chicago game just two days earlier, the Wings fell behind early and then got burned by late-game turnovers and defensive slips, losing a tight 97-92. The rematch felt the same – slow start, never really recovered. Even with a mini run here and there, a brutal scoring drought in the second quarter let the Sky take control again.
The story’s similar vs. the Storm…they come close, but just not close enough. So, to solve that, the coach replied, “I think it’s about the togetherness they’re building in that locker room and the intangible things. I truly believe the more they stay together and figure that part out, the more that’ll translate to wins on the floor. So we’ve gotta keep growing as a team.”
Basically, he wants his team to play as a unit rather than playing individual ball. We know that when Paige came to Dallas, people were skeptical about her fitting in a team led by ball-dominant Ogunbowale. But it looked like the Wings are slowly figuring it out. In their only win this season, Paige was on fire—21 points on 8-of-10 shooting, five rebounds, and seven assists. Arike chipped in 19 points to back her up.
It was becoming pretty clear they’re learning to play off each other, stepping up when one slips. But that was just one game. In the last two losses, that connection’s been missing, and reporters pointed out how often it looks like they’re playing individual games. Chris wants to bring that discipline back and fix this. Now, with Paige still out for at least one more game, they need to figure things out, and fast.
The coach also cleared the air on what actually put Paige into concussion protocol.
Dallas Wings rookie concussion protocol shakes team
On May 30, the Wings announced that star rookie guard Paige Bueckers will miss at least the next two games, including Saturday’s rematch against the Chicago Sky and Tuesday’s matchup against the Storm, as she was placed in concussion protocol. What’s wild is that she played all 36 minutes in Thursday’s game and looked totally fine at the final buzzer, so the news caught fans off guard and sparked serious concern.
Head injuries are a whole different level of worry. The WNBA season has already seen several stars sidelined with head and face injuries like Rickea Jackson, Tiffany Hayes, Te-Hina Paopao, and Shakira Austin, with Jewell Loyd even suiting up in a mask after a facial injury.
If you’re new to this, the WNBA started its concussion policy in 2012 and updates it regularly “to keep current with evolving science,” per the collective bargaining agreement. The league and the Wings are serious about safety. Coach Koclanes explained on May 31, “She didn’t say much initially, but after the game, she mentioned feeling a headache and pointed out she was hit a couple of times. That’s when they sent her straight to the doctor and placed her in protocol.”
The exact moment or severity of the injury is still unclear, but some fans suspect a head-to-head clash with Chicago Sky’s Courtney Vandersloot might be the culprit. During a fast break, Bueckers grabbed an offensive rebound and was driving down the court when their heads may have collided. Bueckers stayed down briefly with hands over her face but quickly got up and kept playing, so the full impact probably wasn’t noticed at the time.
May 19, 2025; Arlington, Texas, USA; Dallas Wings guard Paige Bueckers (5) and guard DiJonai Carrington (21) run back up the court during the second half against the Seattle Storm at College Park Center. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images
Regardless, the Wings aren’t taking any chances with their No. 1 pick… smart move given how electric she’s been despite the team’s slow start. Bueckers is averaging 14.7 points and 6.7 assists per game, ranking fifth-best in the league. Hope it’s just one more game, and she returns to run the offense for her already struggling Dallas Wings.
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