Dallas Wings star Paige Bueckers' days sidelined on the bench might eventually be cut short following the latest update on her ankle injury.

The reigning Rookie of the Year missed her first game of the season against the Portland Fire to protect her from a possible injury, according to head coach Jose Fernandez.

“Listen, it’s a long year, and Paige is who she is. Trust me, Paige would like to be on the floor tonight, but the best thing for her, longevity for the career with the franchise, we take care of her, and she takes care of her body.” Fernandez said ahead of the game against the Fire.

However, Dallas fans can rejoice, as she is officially listed as probable for the important clash against the Las Vegas Aces on Monday night, per Dallas-based reporter Grant Afseth.

Bueckers suffered the knock during the game against the Minnesota Lynx, where she left the court during a timeout but returned with a taped-up ankle.

While her night ended in disappointment, the 23-year-old had a decent performance against Cheryl Reeve's team, scoring 23 points on 9-of-16 shooting, 2 assists, and a rebound.

Fernandez also added that the Wings are taking Bueckers' apparent injury on a "day-to-day" basis, but purely on a speculative basis, we could very well see her in action against the Aces.

This is because the Wings lost a very winnable game against the Fire 84-83, and to avoid any further drop in their 8-5 record, the Wings would require the help of Bueckers against the reigning champions and probably the best player in the WNBA, A'ja Wilson.

In addition, following the knock against the Lynx, Bueckers did not really seem stressed about her ankle, nor did she have any doubts about a long-term issue.

Paige Bueckers Opens Up on Her Ankle Injury

After the 100-76 loss to the Lynx and the 85-70 win over the Phoenix Mercury, Bueckers revealed she did not really feel any issue in her ankle, purely because of the adrenaline.

“Adrenaline is the best drug, so [I] didn’t really feel it during the game,” Bueckers said after the contest. “Just wanted to power through, help the team get a win.”

She definitely powered through the knock against the Mercury and scored a season-high 31 points on 16-of-20 shooting, 6 rebounds, and 5 assists.

Putting up such numbers even after twisting her ankle just goes to show her resiliency, and now that she has had some time to rest after missing out on the game against the Fire, it would be fair to speculate that we will see Bueckers in action at some point during the game against the Aces, at the very least.

The Dallas Wings host the Las Vegas Aces on Monday night at College Park Center.

So, do you think Paige Bueckers will be on the court against the Aces? Let us know in the comments.

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Written by

Joy Bassy

Edited by

Joy Bassy