What Happened to Paige Bueckers? How Many Games Will Dallas Wings Star Miss Due to WNBA Protocol?

When news broke that Caitlin Clark was injured, it wasn’t just a headline—it was a moment that shook the entire season. And the impact was immediate. Ticket sales for Indiana Fever games dropped by a staggering 71%. Still, Commissioner Cathy Engelbert and the league held on to hope. If not Clark, then surely the No. 1 overall pick in the 2025 WNBA Draft—Paige Bueckers—would carry the torch.

And early signs were promising. Fans were clearly eager to watch Bueckers in action, especially when she returned to familiar territory in Connecticut. Ticket prices for her matchup against the Sun ranged from $61 all the way to a jaw-dropping $1,299 for courtside seats near the team’s bench. That kind of demand spoke volumes. But now, the player the league hoped could help fill the void left by Clark is facing a similar challenge. Yes—Paige Bueckers is injured, too, and she’s expected to miss at least a week.

What happened to Paige Bueckers?

The situation traces back to the game against the Chicago Sky when the Wings walked into Wintrust Arena. In the second quarter, Bueckers went down hard after a collision with Courtney Vandersloot.

Even though she stayed in long enough to finish with 15 points, five rebounds, and a career-high three blocks, little did anyone know—it would be her last game for a while. Originally scheduled to join Arike Ogunbowale and interim coach Chris Koclanes at the postgame press conference, she was replaced by Teaira McCowan at the last minute.

The reason? What started as immediate postgame treatment for the fall extended into something more serious. It was later confirmed that Bueckers had entered the WNBA’s concussion protocol and would be sidelined for at least two games. While the exact severity of her injury hasn’t been disclosed, the team’s response follows the league’s official concussion policy.

Implemented in 2012, the WNBA’s concussion protocol ensures a strict and standardized approach to diagnosing, managing, and clearing players before they return to the court. While Bueckers is currently projected to miss two games—Saturday against the Sky and Tuesday against the Storm—it’s possible she could be out longer.

News: Paige Bueckers will miss a minimum of two games in concussion protocol, the Dallas Wings announced. She will be reevaluated following Tuesday’s game versus the Seattle Storm.

— Alexa Philippou (@alexaphilippou) May 30, 2025

Why? According to the study “Concussions in the Women’s National Basketball Association,” players who suffer a first-time concussion typically miss a median of four games. So, while there’s hope for a quick return, the timeline remains uncertain. For Bueckers, though, sitting out a couple of games isn’t uncharted territory. Her history with injuries dates back to her sophomore year at UConn.

In December 2021, she suffered a tibial plateau fracture and a meniscus tear which forced her to sit out 17 games. Just when she had returned and recovered, the young guard went down with an ACL tear in August 2022. “I knew it was bad. I felt a pop. I’m not really sure if I heard it, but I felt it for sure,” Bueckers recalled in an interview with The UConn Blog. “I knew something was wrong.” She was forced to miss the entire season that came next.

Now, just a few months into her WNBA journey, that all-too-familiar injury cloud has reappeared. But unlike at UConn, where Coach Geno Auriemma always had a backup plan, Dallas might not be as lucky this time around.

Dallas Wings might struggle to fill up the backcourt!

While Paige Bueckers is confirmed to be sidelined, she might not be the only notable absence. The Dallas Wings are also expected to be without another key backcourt player, Tyasha Harris. She was ruled out just before tip-off against the Chicago Sky due to a knee injury, and that’s where the concern deepens.

May 19, 2025; Arlington, Texas, USA; Dallas Wings guard Paige Bueckers (5) in action during the game between the Dallas Wings and the Seattle Storm at College Park Center. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images

Though Harris went through shootaround and even participated in the pregame warmup, hinting her return might be close, she’s once again listed as questionable. That puts Dallas in a tough spot. If both Bueckers and Harris can’t go, the team will likely need to lean heavily on rookies Aziaha James and JJ Quinerly to provide support behind Arike Ogunbowale.

The real issue? Losing nearly 14 points per game from Harris alone over the next couple of contests could be a tough blow, especially for a team that’s already struggling, sitting at 1-5 and ranked 12th out of 13 WNBA teams. With the schedule not easing up anytime soon, the Wings have to be smart and cautious about how they manage their rotations moving forward.

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