Latest news with #ChrisKoclanes
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Paige Bueckers will sit out Wings' matchup with Aces on Sunday, but expected to play Monday
Dallas Wings star Paige Bueckers will sit out Sunday's matchup with the Las Vegas Aces for rest, the team announced on Saturday. The Wings are scheduled to play back-to-back games with Sunday's game versus the Aces followed by Monday's meeting with the New York Liberty. Bueckers is expected to play on Monday against the defending WNBA champions. Bueckers, the No. 1 overall pick in this year's WNBA Draft, is averaging 18.1 points, 5.6 assists and 3.9 rebounds while shooting 33% on 3-pointers in 20 games this season. She has missed five games, four of them after suffering a concussion and dealing with a subsequent illness. But since returning to the Wings' lineup on June 11, Bueckers had played in 14 of 15 games on the schedule. She also played in July 18's WNBA All-Star Game, voted into the starting lineup. After Friday's 86-76 loss to the Golden State Valkyries, Bueckers became the first player in league history to total more than 350 points (362) and 100 assists (111) in the first 20 games of her career. The one game she sat out during that stretch was June 15's matchup versus the Washington Mystics due to a right knee issue. Wings coach Chris Koclanes dismissed any speculation toward a more serious injury, saying that Bueckers was scratched from the lineup for precautionary reasons and "managing what's best for her long-term health." Playing the past seven games supports that notion. Yet knee issues are a concern for Bueckers, especially with her left knee. She missed the entire 2022-23 season at UConn due to a torn ACL and in January, Bueckers missed two games after spraining her left knee versus Villanova. Dallas does not have another back-to-back during the remaining 17 games on its schedule after Monday's matchup with the Liberty. At 7-18 going into Sunday, the Wings have the second-worst record in the WNBA, a half-game behind the Chicago Sky.
Yahoo
5 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Dallas Wings Need Li Yueru to Continue to Master Overlooked Trait
Dallas Wings Need Li Yueru to Continue to Master Overlooked Trait originally appeared on Athlon Sports. While drafting Paige Bueckers was by far the most high-profile move that the Dallas Wings made over the offseason, it was far from the only one. They brought in head coach Chris Koclanes from USC, traded for DiJonai Carrington and Tyasha Harris, and, midway through the season, pulled off a deal with the Seattle Storm, sending two draft picks in exchange for center Li Yueru. Towering at 6-foot-7, Yueru is one of the better rim protectors and rebounders in the league, averaging 8.9 points and 7.2 rebounds through 10 games with Dallas. Critically, she is also shooting a stellar 38.1 percent from 3-point range, and the Wings need her to keep flashing two-way potential. "Li just battles," praised Koclanes after the four-point loss to the Aces. "Again, tough matchup defensively. But she was a big spark when she went back in the game there as part of that run, hitting a bunch of big 3s and just being a presence there, rebounding for us some." Yueru finished with ten points, eight rebounds, and two blocks against Las Vegas, and was tasked with guarding three-time MVP A'ja Wilson for much of the contest. Even as a solid defender, Yueru had no answer for Wilson, who finished with 37 points. To be fair, no one else on the roster had much of an answer, either. The Wings have dropped their last four games and will look to pick up a much-needed win on Tuesday against the Seattle Storm, although they will be heavy underdogs in that contest. This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jul 17, 2025, where it first appeared.
Yahoo
20-07-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Wings' DiJonai Carrington, Chris Koclanes respond to immense backlash amid challenging season
The post Wings' DiJonai Carrington, Chris Koclanes respond to immense backlash amid challenging season appeared first on ClutchPoints. ARLINGTON, TX — It has been a long first half of the 2025 WNBA season for the Dallas Wings. Between injuries and underperformance, the Wings have certainly not played up to their expectations. Paige Bueckers, Aziaha James and the rookies have been a bright spot for the most part, but overall the '25 campaign has been challenging for the 6-16 Wings. The Wings have dealt with immense backlash as a result of their struggles. New head coach Chris Koclanes' first season has not gone according to plan. Many fans have criticized his performance. So, how has he been able to ignore the outside noise and focus on the team? 'I pour into our players and I lean on our staff,' Koclanes told reporters after practice on Tuesday. 'I don't worry about it. If I start worrying about it, that's not healthy… I'm worried about how I can be better every single day. Everybody is going to have an opinion… The only opinions that really matter are, you know, my boss.' Koclanes is doing everything he can to help the Wings through a difficult campaign. Fans have questioned his methods at times — but the Wings head coach confirmed that the 'only' opinion he is concerned with is his 'boss.' Wings forward DiJonai Carrington, who has missed time due to an injury, also discussed the subject of ignoring the criticism. 'It's hard, it comes with the territory and we know that,' Carrington told reporters. 'But like I've been saying all year, the locker room is the best thing about this program right now. And I love that. You know, a lot of times there's a lot going on outside, we're losing games, we're winning games, people are in and out… It's easy to point fingers or to start to become bitter or bicker with one another because things aren't going right. But grateful that this hasn't happened here. We've stuck together as a team. We've never pointed or tried to say it's any one person's fault or we're better with or without somebody. 'You know, we just all come together and we want to just keep getting better for each other. So I think it's just, like, the locker room staying together has been a huge piece. I mean, you've seen the transition from the first half of the first half of the season to the second half of the first half of the season, and I know you saw that we had to put things together. But, at no point are we on the court going our separate ways, bad body language towards each other. We get frustrated with ourselves but not towards each other.' It remains to be seen if Carrington will return from her rib injury for the Wings' final game before the WNBA All-Star break on Wednesday against the Las Vegas Aces. She was a full participant in practice on Tuesday, though, so she is clearly trending in a promising direction. Related: Where ESPN ranks Paige Bueckers midway through rookie season Related: Epic Caitlin Clark-Paige Bueckers photo goes viral after Fever beat Wings
Yahoo
13-07-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Is Paige Bueckers' minutes overload with Wings becoming a problem?
The post Is Paige Bueckers' minutes overload with Wings becoming a problem? appeared first on ClutchPoints. The Chicago Sky defeated the Dallas Wings by a final score of 87-76 on Wednesday night. Dallas now holds a 6-15 overall record as a result of the defeat. With players such as Arike Ogunbowale and DiJonai Carrington out with injuries, the Wings are attempting to remain competitive despite featuring a short-handed roster (only eight Wings were available on Wednesday night). Rookies Paige Bueckers and Aziaha James both played over 36 minutes in the game. Advertisement Head coach Chris Koclanes is doing his best to manage rotations given the circumstances, but the rookies — especially Bueckers — have had to play a plethora of minutes in recent action. She entered the game averaging just under 35 minutes per outing for the 2025 campaign. Koclanes is trying to figure out the lineups and rotations, something that is difficult given all of the injuries that the Wings have dealt with. 'It's just been lots of inconsistencies with our roster, right? Who is available,' Koclanes told reporters following the game. 'Just been a lot of different plug-and-play, who is it tonight? With all that being said, still confident in this group.' The Wings need Ogunbowale and Carrington to return soon. The same can be said for Maddy Siegrist. Tyasha Harris is out for the season, but the other three players should be able to return. However, the team has yet to provide any new updates on Ogunbowale and Carrington. Arike is dealing with a thumb injury and Carrington is battling a rib issue. Aside from that, there has been minimal information provided. Advertisement The Wings signed Haley Jones to a rest-of-season contract which gave them eight players for Wednesday's game. Although they were able to avoid a forfeit (teams need eight players available), Bueckers' minutes overload is beginning to become concerning. Averaging around 35 minutes fresh off the college basketball season is far from an ideal situation for a rookie. Overall, though, Koclanes believes the challenging circumstances will benefit the Wings rookies in the long run. 'They're only going to be better for living through these experiences and getting these experiences,' the Wings head coach said. 'When you look at it that's a lot of minutes that these players have never logged and what we're asking them to do. To shoulder the weight of scoring as well.' Playing without other scoring options such as Ogunbowale, Carrington and Siegrist places additional pressure on Bueckers. She is forced to become extra aggressive on the offensive end of the floor. When Paige is at her best, she is able to balance play-making and scoring. Advertisement On Wednesday, the 2025 No. 1 overall pick scored 17 points but shot just 5-20 from the field and 0-4 from beyond the arc. She added four assists — a respectable mark — but Bueckers would surely love to create for her teammates even more. In the end, it's not all Koclanes' fault. He's trying to manage given the difficult circumstances. One has to imagine that an update on Ogunbowale and Carrington will be made available sooner rather than later, though. Dallas cannot afford to continue playing with the minimum amount of players needed for a WNBA contest. The Wings will play the Fever in Indiana on Sunday afternoon in their next game. Dallas will then host the Aces next Wednesday before the WNBA All-Star break. Related: Wings make important signing before Sky game Related: Wings' Paige Bueckers gets important injury update
Al Arabiya
09-07-2025
- Sport
- Al Arabiya
Paige Bueckers is matching the hype, and then some, as the no. 1 pick for the wings
Paige Bueckers has been just about everything the Dallas Wings hoped for as the No. 1 overall pick in the WNBA draft, matching Caitlin Clark from a year ago as a rookie All-Star starter while shouldering a heavy load for a rebuilding team. The former UConn star is also passing her most predictable test: handling losing when she didn't have much experience with it in college. Beyond managing the losing, Bueckers has helped engineer quite the response. Although they just lost to Phoenix by 30 points after beating the Mercury in their previous game, the Wings are 5-3 since blowing an 11-point lead in the last four minutes of an 88-84 loss at Las Vegas that dropped them to 1-11. Credit to Paige, said Chris Koclanes, a rookie himself as a head coach. 'Her mindset and her intention into the mental side of the game, she's resilient. She's not discouraged at all. She's in there, she's positive. She knows there is a larger vision here and that you've got to go through some of this tough stuff early to ultimately get to where you want to go.' For all the latest headlines, follow our Google News channel online or via the app. Bueckers missed four of the losses while recovering from a concussion and then an illness. She also sat the second night of a back-to-back with a sore right knee, and the Wings won for the first time without her. A three-time Associated Press All-American during a UConn career capped by the storied programs first national championship in nine years, Bueckers lost 13 times in four seasons with the Huskies. She's at 10 in less than two months with the Wings. 'Just staying disciplined in your habits and not changing who you are based on the results but sticking to your process and how you do things,' Bueckers said. 'Regardless of the winning and losing, just enjoy coming to work every single day. It's been fun to enjoy the process. You never want to get used to losing, but you also don't want to be used to being result-oriented.' Clark, the first overall pick last year by Indiana, is a captain in just her second All-Star appearance, and Bueckers bid makes it three years in a row to have a rookie starter. Clark's teammate with the Fever, Aliyah Boston, did it in 2023. Bueckers leads the Wings – and all WNBA rookies – in scoring (18.7 points per game), assists (5.7), and steals (1.8), which means she's well on her way to matching another Clark accomplishment from a year ago: Rookie of the Year. Even though the Wings plummeted to 9-31 last season – just a year after winning a playoff series for the first time since moving to the Dallas area in 2016 – they still had 2024 All-Star Game MVP Arike Ogunbowale in their backcourt. Bueckers fit perfectly as a facilitator alongside one of the leagues elite scorers but clearly has proven to be a scoring option equal to Ogunbowale, who has missed the past two games with a thumb injury. 'I'm asking her to do a ton right now,' Koclanes said of his 23-year-old star. 'Having her bring the ball up the floor every single time and then also score and also facilitate. How she's been able to handle that has just been extremely impressive.' The Wings overhauled most of the rest of their roster this past offseason. First-year general manager Curt Miller is now tinkering, having recently sent NaLyssa Smith, one of the acquisitions, to Las Vegas for a 2027 first-round pick. There's no question the Wings plan to build around Bueckers. 'I think her greatest gift is she makes everyone better around her,' Miller said. 'She's a humble superstar. She's just had a remarkable start with a lot of pressure. And coming off a very long collegiate season where chasing that national championship, you can't imagine what the weight on her shoulders must have felt like.' Repeating one other thing Clark did might be difficult for Bueckers. The Fever rebounded from a 1-8 start to make the playoffs last year before getting swept by Connecticut in a best-of-three series in the first round. A postseason bid is likely to require getting back to .500, and the schedule over the next month has plenty of playoff contenders, including three meetings with the defending champion New York Liberty. There is almost a weeklong break in there, but not for Bueckers. She'll be at the All-Star Game at Indianapolis on July 19. She won't be looking at that recognition as any sort of validation. 'I don't live to anybody else's expectations or what I'm supposed to look like,' Bueckers said. 'I just go out there and play every single game and every single possession as it is. And the results may vary. So whatever that looks like on any given night, you live with the results.' She's living by those words as a rookie.
