Paige Bueckers Runs Into a Legend, Hits the Rookie Wall!
We knew the welcome to the W was coming.
We just didn’t know it would be delivered by one of the nicest point guards in basketball.
Paige Bueckers, Dallas Wings rookie and certified prodigy, is officially in the concussion protocol after an incidental collision with Chicago Sky veteran Courtney Vandersloot on Thursday night. No dirty play. No drama. Just a hard, awkward run-in between two guards navigating tight space on a fast-paced night in the Windy City.
i think this may have been the play where paige bueckers suffered a concussion
looks like a head-to-head collision with courtney vandersloot pic.twitter.com/SuPMal6Fs5
— jack maloney (@jackmaloneycbs) May 30, 2025
Bueckers stayed in the game, poured in 15 points, and dished out eight assists and moved like the smoothest operator on the floor — until she wasn’t.
By Friday afternoon, the team ruled her out for at least two games: Saturday’s rematch with the Sky and Tuesday’s trip to Seattle. The earliest we might see her again?
June 6, at home against the Sparks.
A Rough Stretch
The Dallas Wings are staring down the barrel of a rough stretch: they’re 1–5, dead last in the Western Conference, and now, they’ve just lost their best playmaker — rookie guard Paige Bueckers — to concussion protocol. So what happens next?
There are three possible scenarios:
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The Wings collapse without their floor general, sinking deeper into a hole nobody wants to climb out of.
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Someone unexpected steps up to fill the playmaking void, surprising fans and opponents alike.
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Arike Ogunbowale once again becomes a flamethrower — ramping up her scoring and carrying the team through thick and thin.
A Lesson in the League
There’s no shame in running into Courtney Vandersloot. That’s a future Hall of Famer, a four-time assist champ, a walking synonym for “crafty.” Paige met the moment like a baller — but this league doesn’t care about your mixtape. It’s fast, physical, and unforgiving.
This was Paige’s seventh WNBA game. She’s already taken hard fouls, logged long minutes, and created absolute magic alongside Arike Ogunbowale, who dropped 37 in Thursday’s loss. But even in a highlight-heavy league, your body only has so many hits it can take.
In 6 games, Paige is averaging 14.7 points, 6.7 assists (fifth in the league!), and 4.7 boards, two steals and one block per game. She’s not just hooping — she’s directing. The Wings’ offense has more movement, more layers, and way more vibes when she’s out there.
But now? Dallas has to find a way to survive without her — at 1–5, dead last in the West.
The Rookie Reality Check
Last season we saw, Caitlin Clark get face-guarded 94 feet.
Angel Reese pull down 15 boards a game while being choke slammed and getting blood under her nails.
Rickea Jackson getting into fights with Brittney Griner.
This year so far we’ve gotten. A Georgia Amoore ACL injury. Te-Hina Paopao eye injury and now a Paige Bueckers concussion.
She just ran into one of the game’s greats and got a personal reminder: the WNBA doesn’t do warm welcomes. It hands out bruises.
This wasn’t a dirty hit. It was a milestone.
Bueckers will bounce back.
She’s too smart, too fluid, too good not to.
But make no mistake: this was the first real wall she’s hit. And like most things in basketball, it came when she least expected it — from a guard who’s made a career out of sneaking up on you.
We’ll see you in June, Paige.
Get well soon
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