The Dallas Wings seemed to lose their heart before the game even tipped off against the Washington Mystics. Paige Bueckers was ruled out with a knee injury. Her absence cast a shadow over the rematch, especially considering the Wings had already suffered a tough overtime loss to the same Mystics squad just days earlier, with Bueckers on the floor. Without her scoring, creativity, and on-court leadership, the outlook felt even more bleak. The team was searching for answers in a pivotal moment of the season.
But in a surprising twist that echoed the team’s unpredictable nature, the Wings responded with resilience and unity. Instead of folding, they rose to the occasion with a spirited, team-driven performance. Four players scored in double figures, including two off the bench. Rookies JJ Quinerly and Aziah James each poured in 15 points, stepping up when it mattered most. Quinerly, making her first start of the season at point guard, showcased poise and leadership beyond her years as Dallas beat the Mystics 79-71 at College Park Center.
Coach Chris Koclanes explained how he approached the locker room after the Bueckers’ injury news. Koclanes said, “Just looking for energy and for them to be who they are, you’ve seen Aziah getting more and more comfortable. It was a good scoring punch for us yesterday off the bench. So just looking for JJ to you know challenge her to be a facilitator and now tonight going to ask her to score the ball as well, cuz we’re going to need some point production um, without Paige on the lineup. So, um, giving her the keys and letting her be aggressive as well to look to score too.”
JJ Quinerly had played a limited role for most of the season, averaging just 4.1 points and 1.3 assists in only 4.3 minutes per game. But when her number was called, she didn’t just step up; she set the tone. Inserted into the starting lineup for the first time, Quinerly came out firing, scoring eight of her 13 points in a dominant first quarter that saw Dallas jump out to a 28 -9 lead. As Koclanes said, she brought in the early energy that the team was lacking just a day earlier against the Indiana Fever.
She slid into the point guard role with a calm command that made it feel like she had always belonged on this stage. By the end of the night, she added four rebounds and four assists to her stat line and posted a plus-13 in her minutes on the floor. Though her scoring slowed after halftime, Quinerly had already ignited the spark. Myisha Hines-Allen and Aziaha James added key production off the bench, with James finishing with 15 points and three triples. Arike Ogunbowale also continued with her steady production with 14 points and 3 assists.
Aziaha James has been more of a contributor than Quinnerly, averaging 6.7 points and 1.5 assists in her 16.9 minutes per game. She is another rookie to watch out for in the Wings squad. With Bueckers largely stealing the spotlight and deservedly so, these two have gone under the radar. This game was their way of showing that the Wings’ future is not only on Bueckers and her stardom, but the franchise has two other rookies to fall back on for the long term.
This was an impressive win for Coach Koclanes. It’s the second night of a back-to-back after getting their back kicked in against the Fever last night. They’re without Paige, but he’s learning what levers to pull at the right time. The coach also provided an update on Bueckers, whose knee injury kept her sidelined for this game.
‘Just Precautionary’: Koclanes calms fans regarding Paige Bueckers’ Injury
While Quinnerly did a great job filling in for Bueckers, they still need their golden girl back as soon as possible. This is a stretch of games where the team is looking really good, and Bueckers will be needed to maximize their wins. Bueckers’ knee injury also gave the fans some flashbacks of her college career, where she had two major knee injuries, suffering a tibial plateau fracture and torn meniscus in 2021 and then tearing her ACL in 2022. The fans feared that it had carried into the WNBA. However, Coach Koclanes has stated that it is not that serious after their win against the Mystics.
Koclanes said regarding Bueckers’ injury, “Yeah, just precautionary, uh, some soreness. So just doing our due diligence and managing, you know, what’s best for her long-term health.”
Her long-term health is the ultimate priority for the franchise as she is set to be the face of Dallas for years to come. She has demonstrated her ability to be the torchbearer this season itself, having one of the best rookie seasons in recent memory. She averages 18.4 points, 5.8 assists, and 4.3 rebounds per game for the Dallas Wings in her first 13 appearances. Her quality is well acclaimed from coaches and players across the league, including Stephanie White, the head coach of the Indiana Fever, against whom she scored 27 points and dished out six assists the night before. The team will want to protect her as much as possible, as she is already playing above-average minutes.
With JJ Quinerly proving she can hold her own on the big stage, the Dallas Wings may have found a valuable way to ease the burden on Paige Bueckers moving forward. Quinerly brings a dual threat as both a facilitator and a scorer, and her breakout performance could earn her more minutes as the season progresses. Head coach Chris Koclanes may even experiment with lineups that feature both Quinerly and fellow rookie Aziah James, adding a fresh dynamic to the backcourt.
The Wings now have a four-day break before facing the Phoenix Mercury, a window that should give Bueckers the time she needs to rest and recover. In the meantime, Koclanes has an opportunity to fine-tune the chemistry between his three rookies, testing different combinations and strategies to keep opponents guessing. In a competitive league, constant evolution is key, and the Wings seem ready to embrace it.
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