Paige Bueckers had the entire Dallas Wings fanbase collectively holding their breath for a moment. While grabbing a rebound against the Phoenix Mercury, Bueckers’ ankle landed awkwardly, giving rise to an injury scare. She was flat on the ground for a few seconds before limping back to the locker room. However, the Wings’ point guard returned spectacularly. She dropped a season-high 31 points and 6 rebounds along with 5 assists. But the concerns remain as the Wings approach Portland. 

“It kind of just rolled, kind of gave out a little bit on a rebound. That’s why I don’t rebound—just kidding,” Bueckers joked after the game. “Once it rolls, it rolls right back. I just had to go in the back and get taped… I didn’t really feel it during the game. I just wanted to power through and help the team get a win, and I’m sure I’ll do everything possible to get recovered and have it feeling better by tomorrow.”

Now, the Wings’ star is listed as questionable for their next game against Portland, according to the WNBA injury reports page. 

Paige Bueckers’ injury history reads like a medical file: ACL tears, tibial plateau fracture, and lateral meniscus tears. But, while the knee injuries have defined her injury history, she also had a right ankle surgery in 2021. The procedure was to repair an osteochondral defect on her right ankle. Osteochondral defects are described as joint damage involving the bone and cartilage, and it was a pre-existing situation during her freshman year. 

That 2021 ankle surgery may haunt her now. The Wings aren’t taking chances. However, she hasn’t had to sit out games to rest her ankle regularly despite undergoing surgery so far.

Regardless, she could still miss the Fire games to give herself a breather, along with the injury. She is playing 32.4 minutes a game, and the Fire game is on the road with a short turnaround time of 48 hours. 

Last season, Bueckers admitted that her previous knee surgeries and chronic patellar tendinitis would require her to manage her workload carefully, particularly during back-to-back games.

“It’s difficult. But at the same time, I want to play 40 minutes, I want to play every single game. But also being smart and understanding that there’s a long season,” Bueckers said last season as per Sports Illustrated. “Not so much a load management. Just being smart. I’ve been dealing with patellar tendonitis since I was in high school. And it is, in a sense of you’re managing it, at all times.”

“There’s no day where it probably doesn’t hurt. But to be on the second night of a back-to-back, where I just played 38 minutes, it usually never feels great the way after the game. But we usually either have an off-day or a light practice day to where I can recover,” Bueckers continued. 

Her ankle injury, coupled with that, could affect her availability for the Fire matchup. Naturally, it would be a monumental loss for the Wings, who sit fifth in the league and are trying to build consistency after winning their previous game. It would be even tougher considering Bueckers is coming off one of the most historic nights of her young career.

Against the Mercury, her 31-point performance was the highest-scoring game by any player this season without a free-throw attempt. It also made her just the 10th player in WNBA history to record a 30-point game without getting to the free-throw line, according to @trendyhoopstars. But that’s not all!

As noted by Underdog WNBA, Bueckers joined A’ja Wilson, Breanna Stewart, and Maya Moore as the only players to record multiple 30-point games while shooting at least 70% from the field before turning 25. The outing also marked the 19th game of her career with at least 20 points while shooting 50% or better from the field.

That is tied for the fourth-most such performances through a player’s first two seasons, alongside Cynthia Cooper and A’ja Wilson. Only Seimone Augustus, with 28, has recorded more. 

As if the possibility of losing Bueckers’ team-high 18.7 points and 5.7 assists per game wasn’t concerning enough, the Wings are already dealing with a thinner point guard rotation heading into their next game.

Dallas Wings Guard Rotation Affected As Odyssey Sims Remains Out

The Wings have a solid point guard backup to Paige Bueckers in Odyssey Sims. But she suffered an ankle injury in the matchup against the Sparks. Sims went down in the first half and was seen in immense pain as teammates helped her up. She was taken off the court in a wheelchair and was seen in a boot during practice.

According to the injury report, Sims remains ruled out for the game against Portland. She will miss her fourth consecutive game, and her return timeline remains unknown. If Bueckers remains out for this game, Jose Fernandez could go with Aziaha James in the starting lineup. 

James has played 12.2 minutes per game while averaging 6.6 points, 1.3 assists, and 2.3 rebounds. However, she had a more important role under the previous head coach, Chris Koclanes, last year, and has shown that she can handle the responsibility whenever required. Alternatively, he could go with a more size-heavy lineup by adding Awak Kuier or Alanna Smith. 

Their defense in the paint has come under scrutiny recently, which could be exploited by Portland. Smith is averaging an inefficient 8.2 points this season, but the Portland matchup could spark her comeback. She is the reigning Defensive Player Of The Year after all. 

Portland won’t wait for Dallas to get healthy. The Wings must win without their two best guards. The Wings look settled enough with an 8-4 record, but they need to keep the momentum going through these injuries.