Imago
credit- Imagn
Imago
credit- Imagn
“I think Dallas needs a lot. Maybe a prayer.” That was Lucy Rhoden’s blunt forecast just hours before the Dallas Wings tipped off against the Connecticut Sun. The Meadowlark Media reporter didn’t say it to be cruel – just honest. The Wings were 2–11, clinging to faint hope. But instead of a prayer, they brought something stronger: Paige Bueckers.
Watch What’s Trending Now!
Connecticut once roared for her. On June 21, it stood stunned by her. The former UConn icon dropped 21 points and 7 assists in her return to Mohegan Sun Arena, leading Dallas to a thrilling 86–83 victory. And that was only part of the story. Because inside the locker room, the win sparked something deeper.
As Dallas picked up back-to-back wins for the first time this season, head coach Chris Koclanes made his stance crystal clear: “This group, you don’t know where the contributions are going to come from each night… it’s our depth… so many different weapons… it takes everybody.”
Top Stories
Chris Koclanes on Dallas Wings
“This group you dont know where the contributions are going to come from each night…it’s our depth…so many different weapons…it takes everybody.”
— Moreau Sports Media Prod Co. (@MoreauSportsCo) June 21, 2025
Bueckers’ heroics stole the headlines, but the real shift might have come from a recent roster move. Dallas just acquired 6’7″ center Li Yueru from the Seattle Storm in a trade that looked minor on paper. Instead, it added vital muscle. The Wings were without centers Teaira McCowan and Luisa Geiselsoder, both on national team duty. Enter Li, who put up 11 points and 9 rebounds, both season highs, in her most impactful game yet.
Despite pregame skepticism from analysts, her arrival has redefined Dallas’ identity. Their interior defense tightened. Their rebounding improved. And now, after their third win and second consecutive victory, the narrative has flipped. The team that “needed a prayer” might just have needed the right pieces and clarity from their coach.
Koclanes’ firm tone was matched by results. Alongside Bueckers, rookie Aziaha James came and scored all 17 of her points in the second half, NaLyssa Smith added 12, and the Wings got gritty. They shot just 36% in the second half but made up for it with clutch free-throw shooting—21-for-26, compared to Connecticut’s 12-for-15.
But what Koclanes spoke about deserves serious thought: they’ve got Li Yueru. They’ve got Paige Bueckers. They’ve got Aziaha James. They’ve got DiJonai Carrington and Arike Ogunbowale. And on a night when Arike (ace of the team) and Carrington both struggled, shooting just 2-for-9 for 7 and 5 points respectively, it was Bueckers, James, and Li who stepped up. They’ve got scorers. They’ve got depth. Even hardship signee Kaila Charles chipped in 9 points off the bench to steady the offense, urging the HC to praise her endlessly.
“She was who she was on the floor,” Chris Koclanes said. “You see, she’s versatile. She was guarding force, she was guarding point guard. She guarded everybody. Then her tenacity to the boards- getting us extra possessions all the time. So, that effort and energy is just contagious.”
Dallas and Paige may have finally found their center
And for analysts screaming about Dallas lacking chemistry? Well, it seems Yueru was the missing piece of the puzzle. After the game, Paige Bueckers didn’t hesitate to praise her new frontcourt partner: “It’s really fun to play with her. She’s super smart and has a high IQ….chemistry will continue to keep building. But she plays extremely hard.”
That “her” is Li Yueru, the 6’7″ center who arrived from Seattle with little fanfare, but perhaps the biggest impact. In Seattle, she was buried in a crowded post rotation, often underutilized and frustrated.
Imago
May 19, 2025; Arlington, Texas, USA; Seattle Storm center Li Yueru (28) in action during the game between the Dallas Wings and the Seattle Storm at College Park Center. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images
Her honest assessment before leaving made that clear: “I came to America only for one reason, to play basketball. This team is really perfect. (This) is the best team I’ve ever been on. We have the best post player in the world, we have 4 post players, and I don’t feel I have enough time,” Yueru said before exiting the Storm.
Now in Dallas, she’s getting the minutes and she is making them count. With Teaira McCowan and Luisa Geiselsoder away, Yueru has stepped into a vital role, bringing size, rebounding, and interior presence the Wings desperately needed.
And if the Wings keep playing like this? They just might silence critics like Lucy Rhoden, who admitted earlier:
“I don’t even know at this point. I’m always affirmed that in any sport you’ve got to give a little bit of time,” she said. “Because things are going to, like, if you’re bringing in a new coach, if you’re bringing in new players, if you’re starting a new system: there needs to be an adjustment period. However, the Wings were so bad that I’m like, ‘I don’t even know if I believe this anymore.’”
That belief is slowly coming back, one gritty win at a time. If this stretch continues, Dallas not only changes its own season trajectory but also strengthens Paige Bueckers’ Rookie of the Year campaign. Especially in a landscape where commentators like Monica McNutt are watching team success as closely as individual stats, Bueckers now has both momentum and meaningful wins on her side.
Written by
Edited by
Shreya Singh