How to Watch Dallas Wings vs. Las Vegas Aces: Paige Bueckers Sits Out, Haley Jones Stays Hot, JJ Quinerly Makes History Push on Sunday, July 27
The Dallas Wings open a crucial four-game homestand Sunday afternoon against the Las Vegas Aces. Tipoff is scheduled for 3 p.m. CT at College Park Center in Arlington. =
The Wings (7–18) are coming off an 86–76 loss to the Golden State Valkyries on Friday. In that game, they led by double digits early before being outscored 76–55 over the final three quarters. Paige Bueckers posted 17 points and six assists in the loss, while Arike Ogunbowale added 16.
Las Vegas (12–13) is also reeling after a 109–78 blowout loss to the Minnesota Lynx. A’ja Wilson led the Aces with 15 points in that defeat.
This will be the third of four meetings between the Wings and Aces this season. Las Vegas won both previous contests — 88–84 on June 13 and 90–86 on July 16 — including a tightly contested battle in Arlington just 11 days ago, where JJ Quinerly posted 17 points and five steals.
How to Watch Dallas Wings vs. Las Vegas Aces
Date: Sunday, July 27
Time: 3:00 p.m. CT
Location: College Park Center — Arlington, TX
TV: KFAA29 (Local)
Streaming: ESPN3
Live Stats: stats.wnba.com
Social Media Updates: Follow @DallasWings and @DallasWingsPR
Dallas Wings Injury Report
- Paige Bueckers: Out (Rest)
- Tyasha Harris: Out (Left Knee)
- Myisha Hines-Allen: Out (Right Lower Leg)
- Maddy Siegrist: Out (Right Knee)
Las Vegas Aces Injury Report
- Cheyenne Parker-Tyus: Out, Not With Team (Pregnancy)
Paige Bueckers Ruled Out
Sunday marks the first time Bueckers will be held out for rest this season. She ranks ninth in the WNBA in scoring (18.1), eighth in assists (5.6), and fourth in steals (1.8), making her the only player in the league in the top 10 of all three categories. Her 36 steals through 20 games place her just two away from entering the Wings’ all-time rookie top-10 list. If that rate holds, it would be the highest by a rookie since Napheesa Collier’s 1.9 average in 2019.
Head coach Chris Koclanes is managing rotations carefully during a grueling six-game, 11-day stretch, which includes four games in six days this week. On Friday, he emphasized that managing health is the top priority.
“Health and safety is the number one priority,” Koclanes said. “There are days when players may need to take the whole day off or be on minute restrictions. Those are conversations we’re having constantly.”
What Happened Last Matchup
In their last matchup on July 16, the Wings erased a 22-point deficit in the fourth quarter but ultimately fell 90–86 as A’ja Wilson delivered one of the most dominant performances of the WNBA season. She scored 37 points on 15-of-25 shooting and added 10 rebounds for her eighth double-double of the year.
Dallas trailed by 20 entering the fourth but outscored Las Vegas 34–18 in the final 10 minutes. Bueckers finished with 20 points, eight assists, and two steals, while Quinerly added 17 points and a WNBA rookie season-high five steals.
“We just showed a fight,” Bueckers said after the game. “To not give up and push it — we cut it to, I think, four at one point.”
Despite the loss, the Wings finished with 32 assists on 34 made field goals — a franchise record 94.1% assist rate — and tallied 14 steals as a team.
Haley Jones Leads Versatile Frontcourt
Haley Jones continued her strong play Friday with 10 points in 28 minutes, marking her third straight game in double figures — the first such streak in her three-year WNBA career. She’s being asked to fill multiple roles, including playing center in smaller lineups, with Li Yueru seeing reduced minutes.
“To be new to the team and have them trust me in those moments feels great,” Jones said. “I try to stay calm, and when I look at my teammates and they’re calm, it helps me.”
Aziaha James praised her veteran teammate’s toughness: “She’s a combo guard. She can score on all three levels. I love Haley to death — she’s a dog. She brings that dog mentality to the team.”
The Wings are embracing a faster-paced, small-ball identity in the absence of Kayla Thornton, who is out for the season. Koclanes explained the lineup decisions Friday after starting center Li Yueru logged just 13 minutes despite an efficient four-game run entering the night.
“In this game, with some of the matchups, we thought we had something going playing small — really small, with Haley at the five at times,” Koclanes said. “You just never know from night to night.”
JJ Quinerly Making Her Mark
Quinerly has made her presence felt on both ends of the floor. In the Wings’ most recent matchup against the Aces, she notched 17 points and five steals. Her current scoring average (6.9 PPG) ranks 13th all-time among third-round picks in their rookie season and third among 2025 third-rounders.
Since 2000, only 10 third-round selections have averaged at least 5.0 points per game in their rookie season — a threshold Quinerly is on pace to exceed. She has also become a trusted late-game defender and secondary playmaker.
Quinerly contributed three points, five rebounds, and three assists in Friday’s loss to Golden State. She also nailed a buzzer-beating three to end the first quarter and gave the Wings an early spark in one of their best opening periods of the season.
Looking Ahead
Following Sunday’s game, Dallas will host the New York Liberty on Monday, the Atlanta Dream on Wednesday, and the Indiana Fever on Friday at American Airlines Center.
The Wings are still battling for consistency amid injuries and lineup experimentation. To pull off an upset against Las Vegas, they’ll need to rebound better, limit second-chance opportunities, and find offensive balance without Bueckers.
“We just needed to knock down free throws, finish our layups, and get rebounds,” said Aziaha James. “It was one of those gritty games — we didn’t stop the bleeding when we had to.”
More Dallas Wings News & WNBA Rumors
- WNBA News: “You Just Never Know”: Chris Koclanes Explains Li Yueru’s Limited Minutes vs. Golden State Valkyries
- WNBA News: Dallas Wings’ Paige Bueckers Makes Incredible WNBA History Through 20 Games
- WNBA News: “We Didn’t Stop the Bleeding”: Dallas Wings Let Early Lead Slip in Loss to Golden State Valkyries
- WNBA News: “Less is More Sometimes”: How Simplicity and Unselfishness Have Sparked the Dallas Wings’ Offense
- WNBA News: “It Was a Statement”: Dallas Wings Dominate Seattle Storm Amid Arike Ogunbowale’s Record and Team Resurgence
- WNBA News: Paige Bueckers Ties Caitlin Clark for Significant WNBA Milestone in Win Over Seattle Storm
