How to Watch Dallas Wings vs. Atlanta Dream: Paige Bueckers Upgraded to Available as Christyn Williams, Amy Okonkwo Sign Hardship Deals on Friday, August 29
The Dallas Wings begin a four-game road trip Friday night when they face the Atlanta Dream at Gateway Center Arena. Tipoff is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. CT, and the game will air nationally on ION.
Dallas (9–30) comes into the matchup after a 101–95 loss to the Connecticut Sun on Wednesday, a game that again underscored the team’s season-long injury issues. Both Luisa Geiselsöder (shoulder) and Aziaha James (ankle) exited late, adding to a list of absences that has grown to 107 combined missed games this season. Despite the setbacks, the Wings battled until the final buzzer, cutting a double-digit deficit to two in the final minute.
“We got them in the end with those defensive stops, but 101 points is not a good defensive performance,” Maddy Siegrist said afterward. “If we want to win games, we just have to be better.”
James had scored 22 points and tied her career high with six assists before leaving the game. Myisha Hines-Allen chipped in a season-high 18 points off the bench, and Amy Okonkwo continued her steady start with a career-best 14 points in her third WNBA game. The fight fell just short as Connecticut sealed it from the free-throw line.
Atlanta (24–14) is also coming off a loss, falling 81–75 at home to the Las Vegas Aces on Wednesday. Brionna Jones paced the Dream with 19 points in that contest.
How to Watch Dallas Wings vs. Atlanta Dream
Date: Friday, August 29
Time: 6:30 p.m. CT
Location: Gateway Center Arena — College Park, GA
TV: ION (National)
Live Stats: stats.wnba.com
Social Media Updates: Follow @DallasWings and @DallasWingsPR
Dallas Wings Injury Report & Roster Moves
The Wings continue to deal with overwhelming attrition. Eight players appear on the latest game status report, but no one on the roster has played in all 39 games this season.
- Paige Bueckers: Available (Illness)
- Luisa Geiselsöder: Out (Right Shoulder)
- Tyasha Harris: Out (Left Knee)
- Aziaha James: Doubtful (Right Ankle)
- Haley Jones: Doubtful (Right Knee)
- Arike Ogunbowale: Out (Right Knee)
- JJ Quinerly: Out (Left Knee)
- Li Yueru: Out (Left Knee)
To help meet the league’s minimum roster requirement, Dallas re-signed forward Amy Okonkwo to a second seven-day hardship contract and added guard Christyn Williams on an extreme hardship deal. Both players will be available against Atlanta.
Atlanta Dream Injury Report
Atlanta has rotation concerns of its own entering Friday’s matchup.
- Jordin Canada: Doubtful (Right Hamstring)
- Taylor Thierry: Out (Right Ankle)
Looking Back: Last Wings–Dream Matchup
The Wings and Dream last squared off on July 30 in Arlington, when Naz Hillmon drilled a go-ahead 3-pointer with 2.6 seconds left to give Atlanta an 88–85 victory. It was a back-and-forth game featuring 22 lead changes and 14 ties.
Hillmon scored a career-high 21 points, with 12 coming in the fourth quarter, while Paige Bueckers matched her with 21 points for Dallas and became the fastest player since 1997 to reach 400 points and 100 assists in a season. Luisa Geiselsöder added 13 points on 3-of-5 shooting from beyond the arc, and Haley Jones contributed 12 points and three assists.
Dallas briefly led in the fourth after Bueckers converted an and-one, but Hillmon’s fifth three-pointer proved the difference.
Amy Okonkwo Extends Strong Start
Amy Okonkwo has quickly emerged as one of Dallas’ most productive hardship signings. The Dallas-area native has averaged 11.3 points, 1.7 rebounds, and 1.3 assists in her first three WNBA games, shooting 57.7% from the field and 36.4% from beyond the arc. Her scoring has increased in each outing — from eight points in her Aug. 22 debut against Seattle, to 12 against Golden State, to 14 against Connecticut.
“My teammates have been amazing at trusting me and giving me confidence,” Okonkwo said. “I’m thankful for the opportunity, even though it’s tragic it comes from injuries. I’m happy I’ve been able to help and hope to keep contributing.”
Head coach Chris Koclanes praised her quick adjustment: “She can pick and pop to spread the floor, but she also has a quick first step. You’ve got to close out on her because she can attack, get into the paint, and finish, and she can make simple reads.”
Christyn Williams Reunites With Paige Bueckers
The Wings added further depth by signing Christyn Williams to an extreme hardship contract. The former UConn standout, who played alongside Bueckers for two seasons with the Huskies, returns to the WNBA after stops with Washington, Phoenix, and Minnesota.
Williams averaged 7.8 points this spring in Athletes Unlimited before competing in the 3×3 Basketball Association with Okonkwo and Serena Sundell. At UConn, she won the 2022 Ann Meyers Drysdale Award as the nation’s top shooting guard and helped lead the program to three Final Fours.
What’s at Stake
The Wings look to snap a three-game skid and avoid a season-series defeat to Atlanta, while the Dream aim to solidify playoff seeding with the regular season winding down.
Up Next
Dallas continues its road swing on Monday against the Minnesota Lynx before heading to the West Coast for matchups with the Golden State Valkyries and Los Angeles Sparks.
More Dallas Wings News & WNBA Rumors
- WNBA News: Paige Bueckers Upgraded to Available for Dallas Wings’ Matchup vs. Atlanta Dream
- WNBA News: Inside Dallas Wings’ Navigation of Hardship Signings Amid Injury Crisis
- WNBA News: Dallas Wings Add Christyn Williams on Extreme Hardship Deal, Re-Sign Amy Okonkwo to Seven-Day Deal
- WNBA News: “We Just Have to Be Better”: Dallas Wings Fall to Connecticut Sun as Injuries Pile Up
- WNBA News: Dallas Wings Focused on ‘Next Progression’ After Golden State Valkyries’ Aggressive Coverages Against Paige Bueckers
- WNBA News: “Our Locker Room Is Still Together”: Dallas Wings Push Through One of WNBA’s Most Injury-Ridden Seasons
- WNBA News: “She’s a Bucket”: Amy Okonkwo Quickly Making Impact for Dallas Wings on Hardship Contract
- WNBA News: “Paige Will Be a Unifier”: Curt Miller Details Dallas Wings’ Roster Plan Around Paige Bueckers
