The Dallas Wings officially mentioned Paige Bueckers on the injury report as "probable" with a left leg issue ahead of their game against the Las Vegas Aces on Thursday. But she is not interested in sitting out.

Dallas will enter this game at 4-3, fresh off an impressive win over the 2024 champion New York Liberty. After Wednesday's practice at SMU, Bueckers made her position clear when asked about managing her minutes.

"Honestly, I want to play 40 every night. I hate sitting on the bench, but I obviously know that. That's part of basketball, and I want my teammates to play, too," she said.

Bueckers is no stranger to playing through physical setbacks. She has been managing patellar tendonitis since high school, a condition that requires constant monitoring regardless of how her body feels on a given day.

Through seven games this season, she is averaging 19.3 points, five assists, and three rebounds while shooting 52.2% from the field and 48.3% from three. Losing that production would leave a massive void in the Dallas rotation.

Her most recent outing against the Liberty produced 24 points in the win over New York, going seven for 13 from the field and converting all eight of her free throw attempts.

The Aces represent a genuine test of how far Dallas has come. Las Vegas won both meetings against the Wings in 2025. Bueckers had just produced 38 combined points across those two contests on 17 for 42 shooting.

On Thursday, she does not want to miss the chance to reset that record.

Can the Dallas Wings Manage Without Paige Bueckers?

Bueckers sat out Dallas' win over the Washington Mystics earlier this season due to injury management. They had defeated the Washington Mystics 92–69.

She had explained afterwards that the balancing act of managing the injury never fully goes away.

"It's difficult, but at the same time, I want to play 40 minutes," Bueckers said at the time. "I want to play every single game."

In 2025, Bueckers left a game against the New York Liberty briefly with a back injury. She played for 31 minutes and led all scorers with 21 points in a 85-76 defeat, before being checked out by medical staff in that match.

So, Bueckers has always pushed herself through the pain. But, this time, with the roster Dallas has, they might be looking to manage Bueckers’ minutes.

Azzi Fudd, who is averaging 11 points per game and shot 43.5% from three-point range, has begun showing great scoring potential. Jessica Shepard, with 11.7 points per game, has also been a key player for them.

Arike Ogunbowale’s 15.4 points per game form will also give them confidence, even if the Wings have to face the defending champions for a few minutes without their star player.

Read More at Her Sports Nation!

Written by

Koushik Biswas

Edited by

Koushik Biswas