When Maddy Siegrist walked to the scorer’s table midway through the first quarter Tuesday night in Brooklyn, it wasn’t just another substitution. It was the moment the Dallas Wings had been waiting nearly two months to see.
After an 18-game absence with a knee injury, Siegrist returned and gave Dallas an instant spark — scoring 13 points on 6-of-9 shooting with three rebounds in just 15 minutes during an 85–76 loss to the New York Liberty.
“It felt great to be out there,” Siegrist said. “It’s been a long process, so you’re really building up to the moment, and then to go in and try to help my team. Obviously, you want to come out with the win, but just to get the first one under your belt feels great.”
Maddy Siegrist Makes a Smooth Reentry
Siegrist didn’t need time to warm up. Her first shot was a clean make from the wing, cutting into New York’s early lead. For head coach Chris Koclanes, that instant impact was exactly what Dallas had been missing.
“She’s going to be consistent with her motor,” Koclanes said. “In the half court, just a smart presence with the balance of spacing and cutting, and just efficient around the rim. When she gets touches around the rim, she’s going to put the ball in the hoop. We’ve been missing that.”
Paige Bueckers, who scored 21 points in the game, said Siegrist’s versatility changes the floor balance.
“She can score at all three levels, gets a ton of rebounds, has a hundred percent crash rate — she’s just creating extra opportunities for us on offense,” Bueckers said. “We play alike and we feed off each other. We know each other’s tendencies because we play a similar style of basketball, so it’s been fun playing with her.”
Teammates Notice the Little Things
At Thursday’s practice, Myisha Hines-Allen lit up when talking about sharing the court with Siegrist again.
“Being on the court with her today — dropping dimes to each other — was amazing,” Hines-Allen said. “Earlier in the season, we did spreadsheets and she had a 100 percent crash rate every single time she played in a game. Little things like that don’t show up on the stat sheet, but they allow us to get extra possessions. She’s our energizer bunny, defensively and offensively.”
Haley Jones echoed the sentiment, pointing to Siegrist’s offensive poise after such a long layoff.
“She was hitting her shots, looked very comfortable out there, like she didn’t miss a beat,” Jones said. “I’m excited to play with Maddy more.”
Maddy Siegrist is Staying Grounded in a Moving Season
The Wings have endured a season of constant roster movement, and Siegrist says the key is staying present.
“That’s not unusual in the WNBA,” she said. “People go from team to team, get waived, picked up on seven-day contracts. It’s just the nature of the business. Mentally, I know that and just focus on being where my feet are. But I’m really happy here in Dallas. Great people. I’m enjoying where I’m at right now.”
Even against the defending champions, Siegrist saw her preparation pay off.
“I feel like that confidence comes from the preparation,” she said. “In the rehab with our medical staff, just knowing I was ready and that they’re going to put you in situations to succeed.”
What Comes Next
Dallas faces New York again Friday night at College Park Center. Koclanes said the biggest adjustment will be limiting New York’s three-point shooting after they hit 50% from deep in Tuesday’s meeting.
Siegrist believes playing the Liberty again so soon will help the Wings sharpen their execution — and she’s eager to keep building on her return.
“You can feel it — getting Paige, playing with Arike, so many of our young players — it’s definitely going in the right direction,” she said. “You want to win today, but sometimes you just have to focus on the little moments.”
More Dallas Wings News & WNBA Rumors
- WNBA News: “We’re Taking a Little Bit of the OKC Model”: Curt Miller on the Dallas Wings’ Roster Approach Around Paige Bueckers, DiJonai Carrington Trade and More
- WNBA News: “Preparing to Be in the Playoffs”: Diamond Miller Settling Into Role With Dallas Wings
- WNBA News: “She Should Be Fine”: Dallas Wings Reveal Paige Bueckers Injury Status for New York Liberty Rematch
- WNBA News: “We Gave Them Too Many Open Shots”: Paige Bueckers Scores 21 as Dallas Wings Fall to New York Liberty After Second Half Slide
- WNBA News: “Hoping It Won’t Take Me Out”: Paige Bueckers Details Back Injury After Dallas Wings’ Loss to New York Liberty
- WNBA News: Dallas Wings’ Paige Bueckers Earns Second Consecutive WNBA Rookie of the Month Honor
- WNBA News: Dallas Wings Trade DiJonai Carrington to Minnesota Lynx, Acquire Diamond Miller, Karlie Samuelson
