‘We’re Easing Her Back’: Maddy Siegrist Expected to Play vs. New York Liberty, Faces Minutes Restriction
Maddy Siegrist is expected to return to game action Tuesday night when the Dallas Wings face the New York Liberty at Barclays Center. After missing 18 games with a right knee injury, the third-year forward fully practiced with the team on Sunday and will be on a minutes restriction in her first game back.
Siegrist has been sidelined since mid-June after suffering an anterolateral tibial plateau fracture in her right knee. While she has remained active in workouts and traveled with the team, her return to full practice marked the final hurdle in her rehab process.
The Wings were optimistic that Siegrist could play in Friday’s 88-78 loss against the Indiana Fever, but she was ultimately downgraded to out. Due to a practice cancellation on Thursday, Siegrist could not play 5-on-5 with teammates as part of the return to competition process, resulting in the medical staff determining it was best to delay her return.
Maddy Siegrist Faces a Minutes Restriction
Wings head coach Chris Koclanes was impressed with Siegrist after her return to practice, pointing to how she enhances the offense with her spacing and movement. Dallas is eager to see what she can do in game action upon her return to the lineup.
“She looked good—comfortable getting up and down,” Koclanes told DallasHoopsJournal.com after practice. “She picks things up quickly, so she was comfortable getting back into our shapes and understanding the spacing and cutting. That was encouraging.”
After Siegrist practiced fully on Sunday, Koclanes confirmed Siegrist will have a minutes limit as she reintegrates into the rotation, though the team is still finalizing the exact allotment.
“She will, yep,” Koclanes told DallasHoopsJournal.com when asked about a restriction. “I don’t have that number for you, but she will be initially on some type of minutes restriction.”
The Wings have emphasized caution with Siegrist’s return, prioritizing long-term health over immediate availability. After being downgraded to out against the Fever on Friday despite participating in shootaround, the team’s medical staff determined additional ramp-up time was necessary.
“You can’t go from zero to a hundred, even though I probably drove the trainers crazy trying to do that,” Siegrist told DallasHoopsJournal.com. “It’s just about working your way back. I’m just looking forward to playing basketball again.”
Maddy Siegrist is Eager to Help the Dallas Wings
Siegrist described her first full practice with the team as a welcome shift after weeks of isolated workouts and getting in 3-on-3 reps instead of 5-on-5. She’s long-awaited being able to return to competition.
“It was great,” said Siegrist when asked by DallasHoopsJournal.com about returning to practice. “It’s just fun to finally be out here with everybody. Leading up to it, it’s been a lot of one-on-one and three-on-three. So now to finally play five-on-five—much better on the defensive end when you have some help. Just great to be out there with everyone.”
Haley Jones echoed the excitement, pointing out how quickly Siegrist impacted during the session, including three consecutive scoring possessions during 5-on-5 action.
“Maddy got out there and highlights—three buckets in a row today at practice,” Jones explained to DallasHoopsJournal.com. “She feels loose, and we’re excited to have her back out there, just instilled with the confidence she already has.”
Siegrist averaged 9.4 points and 5.2 rebounds over 11 games before the injury, ranking among league leaders in offensive rebounds (2.5) and second-chance points (3.5). Her return is expected to bolster Dallas’ frontcourt presence on both ends.
“Pace up and down the floor—a wing that can really run,” Koclanes told DallasHoopsJournal.com of Siegrist’s impact areas. “An inside presence, another big body that can take smaller guards into the paint, and a crash presence for second-chance opportunities.”
Siegrist pointed to rebounding and running the floor in transition as immediate priorities in her return.
“Rebounding has been a big area—especially offensive rebounding,” Siegrist said. “I’m really focusing on running the floor in transition, trying to get a couple buckets that way and make them run back a little bit.”
Who Will Help Fill the Void After Sunday’s Trade?
Siegrist’s return is pivotal for the Wings, who traded guard DiJonai Carrington to the Minnesota Lynx in exchange for forward Diamond Miller, guard Karlie Samuelson, and a 2027 second-round pick.
With Carrington’s departure, Koclanes expects Siegrist and Miller to fill plenty of minutes upon her arrival. Both players are viewed as providing different strengths that can give opposing teams different looks.
“Maddy, right? There’s a spot right there for her as a wing,” Koclanes told DallasHoopsJournal.com. “And when Diamond gets here, there will be big minutes for those two as big wings. They’re very different in terms of their skill sets, so that’s good.”
Even in the backcourt, Aziaha James is expected to take on an expanded role in the rotation, providing defensive energy and hustle plays off the bench. Koclanes emphasized the importance of giving her in-game reps to develop consistency.
“Aziaha—more opportunity for her to play through some mistakes and get more experience competing defensively,” Koclanes told DallasHoopsJournal.com.
Miller and Samuelson did not arrive in Dallas in time to participate in Sunday’s practice, and the team will be traveling to New York City on Monday, preventing Miller from going through a full practice before facing the Liberty.
Myisha Hines-Allen Wears Boot, Arike Ogunbowale Rests
As Siegrist potentially returns, Dallas will face new rotation challenges. Forward Myisha Hines-Allen did not participate in Sunday’s practice and was seen on the sideline wearing a walking boot on her left ankle.
Hines-Allen injured her left ankle late Friday during the Fever’s loss to the Fever and did not return. The team has not provided an official timetable for her return, but the boot signals she could be sidelined for Tuesday’s matchup against the Liberty.
More clarity will become available after the team submits its next injury report before Tuesday’s game in New York.
In addition, former All-Star guard Arike Ogunbowale was held out of practice for rest. After playing five games in eight days, the team opted to give Ogunbowale a rest day. There are no injury concerns.
Countering New York Liberty’s Zone Defense
In her first game back, Siegrist and the Wings will face a Liberty team that successfully used zone defense to disrupt Dallas in their previous matchup. Dallas was held to 29 second-half points — including nine in the final frame — after leading by as many as 30 points in a 92-82 victory on Monday.
“You just gotta take your time, not panic, just move the ball,” Siegrist told DallasHoopsJournal.com about breaking down zones. “There are a lot of holes in zones in general, so the more you move the ball and just be confident, the better results you’re gonna get.”
Jones added, “Last time we played New York, we got really stagnant and settled for threes. We still need to attack the middle, get it to the high post, and get a lot of stuff inside out.”
As the Wings continue to navigate roster adjustments and a challenging schedule, Koclanes believes maintaining pace and effort will be critical in the weeks ahead.
“For us, just effort and energy—those are two things you can control,” Siegrist told DallasHoopsJournal.com. “Those can’t waver.”
More Dallas Wings News & WNBA Rumors
- WNBA News: Dallas Wings Trade DiJonai Carrington to Minnesota Lynx, Waive Teaira McCowan
- WNBA News: “We’re Focused on Us”: Dallas Wings’ Chris Koclanes Unfazed by DiJonai Carrington Trade Rumors
- WNBA News: “We Need to Match That Physicality”: Paige Bueckers Scores 22 as Dallas Wings’ Late Rally Falls Short Against Indiana Fever
- WNBA News: “Just Trying to Find That Balance”: Paige Bueckers Working to Blend Mid-Range Touch with Rim Pressure
- WNBA News: “We’re Growing”: Dallas Wings Fall to Atlanta Dream as Naz Hillmon’s Clutch Three Seals Back-and-Forth Battle
