How to Watch Dallas Wings vs. Phoenix Mercury: Paige Bueckers Nears Rookie Milestones in Season Finale on September 11, 2025

The Dallas Wings close out the 2025 season on Thursday when they host the Phoenix Mercury. Tipoff at a sold-out College Park Center is slated for 7 p.m. CT, with the game airing locally in the Dallas-Fort Worth area on KFAA29.

The sellout marks the ninth of 2025 for Dallas and eighth of the regular season. Thursday’s game will be the Wings’ annual Fan Appreciation Night. All fans in attendance will have the opportunity to win one of 10 golden ticket giveaways featuring signed jerseys, Apple Watches, AirPods, iPads, JBL Party Box Speakers and more. Fans can also celebrate Paige Bueckers’ historic rookie season with an exclusive t-shirt giveaway. In addition, the Wings will be giving away a trip to the 2026 All-Star Game to three 2025 Season Ticket Members who have renewed for the 2026 season.

The Wings (9–34) will look to level the season series with the Mercury (27–16). Both squads have defended their home courts, with Phoenix winning both contests at PHX Arena this year and Dallas scoring a 98–89 win at College Park Center back on July 3. Aziaha James shined in that contest with a career-high 28 points. The Mercury have clinched the No. 4 seed in the WNBA Playoffs regardless of Thursday’s outcome and will face the No. 5 seed New York Liberty in the first round.

How to Watch Dallas Wings vs. Phoenix Mercury

Date: Thursday, Sept. 11
Time: 7:00 p.m. CT
Location: College Park Center — Arlington, TX
TV: KFAA29 (Dallas-Fort Worth market)
Stream: WNBA League Pass (out-of-market)
Live Stats: stats.wnba.com
Social Media Updates: Follow @DallasWings and @DallasWingsPR

Dallas Wings Injury Report

Luisa Geiselsöder: Out (Right Shoulder)
Tyasha Harris: Out (Left Knee)
Arike Ogunbowale: Out (Right Knee)
JJ Quinerly: Out (Left Knee)
Li Yueru: Out (Left Knee)

The Wings’ season-long battle with injuries has led to unprecedented roster turnover. Dallas has tied the WNBA record with 21 players appearing in a single season, originally set by Phoenix in 2003. The team’s 18 different starting lineups also tie a league record that five other teams have reached.

Phoenix Mercury Injury Report

DeWanna Bonner: Out (Rest)
Lexi Held: Questionable (Right Quad)

Paige Bueckers Eyes More Rookie Milestones

Paige Bueckers enters Thursday’s finale within reach of more history. She is 15 points away from passing A’ja Wilson for No. 3 in WNBA rookie scoring history and five assists shy of Sue Bird for No. 3 in rookie assists. A 20-point performance would also push her past Arike Ogunbowale for the highest rookie scoring average in Wings history and place her No. 5 all-time for most 20-point games by a rookie.

Already the only rookie ever to average at least 19 points while shooting over 47 percent, Bueckers has set franchise rookie records for points (668) and assists (187) and ranks third in steals (56). Her season has been recognized league-wide, as she became just the 10th player in WNBA history to win Rookie of the Month three times.

“I think my teammates — setting me up, getting me open, setting really good screens for me, putting me in positions to succeed,” Bueckers said. “The coaching staff also putting me in positions to succeed. And then me just trusting the work and trying to make shots.”

She highlighted how her efficiency was tested late in the season when defenses focused heavily on her: “If teams send two, three people to me, it ends up being like a four-on-three or a three-on-two out of the play and out of the action when teams send that many bodies at me. And then it’s just fun to play to my teammates and let them eat and let them cook. So really it’s been fun.”

For Wings general manager Curt Miller, Bueckers’ presence has made Dallas a more attractive destination: “Paige will be a unifier, someone players want to play with. Our young core will make us attractive, too.”

Dallas Wings Coming Off Loss vs. Los Angeles Sparks

The Wings went toe-to-toe with the Los Angeles Sparks for three quarters before fading late in a 91–77 loss on Sunday at Crypto.com Arena. Paige Bueckers paced Dallas with 18 points, seven assists, and six rebounds, while Myisha Hines-Allen added 15 points, 13 rebounds, and seven assists for her second consecutive double-double.

“I thought we played to advantages pretty well tonight,” Bueckers said. “Getting it out of the traps and then playing to a four-on-three or a three-on-two. We got great shots, so it’s a make-or-miss league, and tonight they just didn’t go in.”

Hines-Allen buried a corner three late in the third quarter to give Dallas its first lead since the opening minutes, but Los Angeles answered with a decisive 16–0 run to open the fourth. Rae Burrell scored 11 of her 13 points in the final frame to put the game out of reach.

“At the start of the fourth, they just made great plays,” Bueckers said. “They got a lot of offensive rebounds off long threes, so rebounds went over our head, and they got multiple opportunities.”

Despite the loss, Hines-Allen’s leadership stood out to head coach Chris Koclanes. “She’s been a steady, calming influence for the team and has found her own ways to lead,” Koclanes said.

Last Matchup vs. Phoenix Mercury

When the Wings last faced the Mercury on July 7 in Phoenix, the game quickly unraveled into a 102–72 defeat. Sami Whitcomb erupted for 36 points, including 19 in the first quarter, while Alyssa Thomas tallied a triple-double with 15 points, 15 assists, and 10 rebounds.

“She’s just so good on the move,” Koclanes said of Whitcomb. “Early on, we went under some screens, and once she sees one go in, the rim just gets bigger. She stepped up and played incredible.”

Paige Bueckers said the Wings needed to adjust more aggressively once Whitcomb found her rhythm. “They made some tough, contested threes,” Bueckers said. “But once they got hot, we needed to adjust—run them off the line and make them take shots within the arc.”

JJ Quinerly, who led Dallas with 18 points and five assists, reflected on how Phoenix’s defense dictated the game.

“They congested the paint,” she said. “We did get a couple of kick-out threes, but sadly we couldn’t hit ’em. That’s the game of basketball—we’ll be back.”

Despite the lopsided result, Quinerly’s performance stood out, as she hit a career-best four three-pointers and showcased her growing confidence as a lead guard.

What’s at Stake

For Dallas, Thursday marks a chance to finish the season on a high note and reward fans with a victory on Fan Appreciation Night. For Bueckers, it is one final opportunity to cap her rookie campaign with another milestone-filled performance. Phoenix enters with playoff seeding secured, already locked into the No. 4 seed.

More Dallas Wings News & Paige Bueckers Coverage

• WNBA News: “Just Trusting the Work”: Paige Bueckers on Rookie Growth, Dallas Wings’ Future, and Unrivaled
• WNBA News: “She’s So Efficient, It’s Unbelievable”: Paige Bueckers Scores Record 44 Points in Dallas Wings’ Loss to Los Angeles Sparks
• WNBA News: “She Deserves It”: Paige Bueckers’ Historic Rookie Year Puts All-WNBA Honors Within Reach
• WNBA News: “We Showed Fight and Resolve”: Paige Bueckers Breaks Rookie Scoring Record as Dallas Wings Fall to Golden State Valkyries
• WNBA News: Dallas Wings Guard Paige Bueckers Named WNBA Rookie of the Month for Third Straight Time
• WNBA News: “I’d Pay to Watch Her Play”: Sue Bird Praises Paige Bueckers’ Rookie Season With Dallas Wings
• WNBA News: “She’s Terrific in That Space”: Cheryl Reeve Praises Paige Bueckers Despite Dallas Wings’ Loss to Minnesota Lynx
• WNBA News: “We’ll Figure This Thing Out”: Paige Bueckers Echoes Stephen Curry in Message to Dallas Wings Fans
• WNBA News: “Paige Will Be a Unifier”: Curt Miller Details Dallas Wings’ Roster Plan Around Paige Bueckers
• WNBA News: “She Shows Up Every Night”: Cynthia Cooper Lauds Paige Bueckers’ Historic Rookie Season With Dallas Wings
• WNBA News: “She Is Rookie of the Year”: Dallas Wings Coach Chris Koclanes Makes Paige Bueckers’ Case Ahead of Los Angeles Sparks Matchup