The playoff picture may already be out of reach, but the Sun, Sky, and Wings are locked in a very different kind of sprint—the one toward top draft lottery odds. For Dallas, it’s a story that feels almost Shakespearean. Just a year ago, they stumbled to the second-worst record, which paired with the season before further slimmed their chances to win the 2025 WNBA Draft Lottery. They had a measly 104 lottery chances, barely 10.4%. But the odds (and maybe the gods) had other plans. Somehow, the Wings leapt past Los Angeles and stole the No. 1 pick. Fate turned those 104 little ping-pong balls into Paige Bueckers. Fast-forward a year, and the very roster built around Bueckers finds itself even further down the ladder.

If anything, the Wings have been scratching and clawing to stay off the bottom line. Notice closely and you’d see it, especially when she tries shaking off an illness in less than 24 hours just to be on the floor for her fans. Paige Bueckers’ availability was questionable after missing Tuesday’s practice due to illness. But just before tipoff against Connecticut, in a matchup neither team could afford to drop with the league’s basement looming, Paige’s status was bumped to “available.”

Naturally, that became the hot topic at the pregame presser. One reporter went straight to head coach Chris Koclanes with the obvious question: “Had questionable yesterday, available tonight. How’s she feeling in this one?” Koclanes didn’t flinch: “She’s good. She’s ready to go. Just a little sick like everybody else, but she’s going to tough it out and play.” Koclanes said: “She’s good. She’s ready to go. Just a little sick like everybody else, but she’s going to tough it out and play.” However, right before the tipoff, the franchise made a revelation that led Dallas fans to watch their brief relief vanish.

Yep, Paige Bueckers joined her teammates: Li Yueru, JJ Quinerly, and Arike Ogunbowale on the bench. Now, HC Koclanes’ description of the bigger picture before the health update makes sense. The illness was just the latest bump in what’s already been a grind of a year. “It’s been a challenging year. But credit to Paige for how she’s continued to show up day in and day out. Just with an open mind and an eagerness to continue to learn. And want to get better for her teammates, for herself, and for this organization.” 

But the question now lingers: why couldn’t her “available” status hold up for even a few more hours? Did the weight of that “challenging year” finally catch up with her? Or is this what happens when boundless “eagerness to learn” runs headfirst into the physical limits of a rookie season that’s been anything but forgiving? Let us break it down for you.

Why is Paige Bueckers not playing vs. the Sun?

We know that it comes as a surprise because Dallas had already given Bueckers the green light to play a couple of hours earlier. Franchise listed the 23-year-old as questionable after missing Tuesday’s practice, only for her status to be upgraded following a full morning shootaround.

So what changed? Head coach Chris Koclanes’ words might have offered a clue even before the decision flipped. His casual line: “Just a little sick like everybody else,” hinted that while she was cleared, the situation wasn’t completely clean. And as Grant Afseth reported, Bueckers went through her normal pre-game workout but was ruled out almost at the buzzer. The simplest explanation here is that the workout exposed more than her body could handle, and the Wings chose to shut her down rather than risk something bigger.

But now another question emerges: the Rookie of the Year race. If Bueckers does claim the award, she’ll likely do it while setting an odd piece of history, as she will be the first winner with the fewest team victories. According to Polymarket Hoops, she’s already sitting at the bottom of that list with just eight wins. And with Dallas managing only a single August victory, an 81-80 escape against Indiana, it’s clear fate isn’t bending to standings.