Aziaha James Nears Injury Return as Christyn Williams Completes Hardship Deal With Dallas Wings

Grant AfsethSeptember 2, 2025September 2, 2025no comment

Photo by Thien-An Truong/Getty Images

Dallas Wings rookie guard Aziaha James is expected to return this week from a right ankle injury, while fellow guard Christyn Williams has completed her extreme hardship contract with the team, as DallasHoopsJournal.com reported.

James took part in the Wings’ morning shootaround at Target Center on Monday and was initially listed as doubtful for the matchup against the Minnesota Lynx. She was later downgraded to out, marking her second consecutive absence. The first-round pick is now anticipated to be available when Dallas visits the Golden State Valkyries on Thursday and the Los Angeles Sparks on Sunday. She had scored 22 points and handed out six assists in her last full outing before leaving late in the fourth quarter against Connecticut.

Her return would help stabilize a depleted Dallas backcourt. Arike Ogunbowale remains sidelined indefinitely with right knee tendonitis, while JJ Quinerly is out for the season with an ACL sprain, and Tyasha Harris underwent left knee surgery earlier this year.

Luisa Geiselsöder Out, Ajae Petty Added on Hardship

The Wings also announced that rookie center Luisa Geiselsöder will miss the rest of the season after suffering a shoulder injury on Aug. 27 against the Connecticut Sun, as DallasHoopsJournal.com reported. Geiselsöder has averaged 6.9 points, 4.8 rebounds, and 1.6 assists in 28 games

To address her absence, Dallas signed forward Ajae Petty to a seven-day hardship contract. Petty, who finished her collegiate career at Ohio State last season, averaged 9.4 points and 7.2 rebounds while shooting 58.8% from the field. She previously spent time at LSU and Kentucky before transferring to the Buckeyes.

Dallas had already lost center Li Yueru to a season-ending ACL sprain, leaving Myisha Hines-Allen to handle extended minutes as the starting center. Additionally, Haley Jones has missed the Wings’ previous two games due to a right knee injury. She did not participate in shootaround on Monday, given that she was not among the players who traveled with the team. It’s important to note, the Wings have broken up the first two games of the four-game road trip with returns to Dallas.

Christyn Williams Finishes Hardship Stint

Williams completed her hardship stint on Monday after signing with the Wings to meet the league’s minimum roster requirement of eight available players. The former UConn standout made her WNBA debut with Dallas last week, reuniting with ex-teammate Paige Bueckers.

Though her contract expired, sources told DallasHoopsJournal.com that Williams remains a candidate to rejoin the roster before the season ends. Dallas has already turned to multiple hardship players, including Petty and guard Serena Sundell, who is currently on her second seven-day contract to bolster the backcourt.

The Wings (9-32) will face the Valkyries on Thursday at 9 p.m. CT at Chase Center before traveling to Los Angeles to take on the Sparks on Sunday.

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Grant Afseth

Senior Writer

Grant Afseth is a Senior Writer for DallasHoopsJournal.com, where he leads in-depth coverage of the Mavericks, Wings, and more. Between a focus on the latest news, closer looks at games, front office strategy, and more, Afseth provides objective coverage. Afseth contributes broader NBA coverage across platforms and has been cited in national outlets for his reporting and analysis. With nearly a decade of journalism experience, Afseth has covered the NBA and WNBA for multiple major outlets, including Athlon Sports, BallIsLife, Sportskeeda, and RG.org. He previously reported on the Indiana Pacers for CNHI’s Kokomo Tribune and the Mavericks for FanNation.

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