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New Paige Bueckers, Myisha Hines-Allen Injury Updates Before Dallas Wings’ Rematch vs. New York Liberty

Paige Bueckers, Dallas Wings, WNBA
Photo by Ishika Samant/Getty Images

Dallas Wings guard Paige Bueckers faces a positive injury update ahead of Friday night’s game against the New York Liberty after fully participating in the team’s morning shootaround.

Bueckers, listed as questionable on Thursday with a back injury, looked like her usual self during Friday’s shootaround and stayed afterward to get extra shots up with teammates. The extended work came as the Liberty opted not to hold a morning shootaround to maximize rest.

She also won the team’s half-court shooting competition, beating out Maddy Siegrist.

Paige Bueckers Dealt With ‘Pulled Muscle’ in New York

Bueckers sustained what she described as a “pulled muscle” during Tuesday’s 85-76 loss in New York, briefly exiting in the third quarter before returning. She finished with 21 points, eight rebounds, and four assists — her fourth consecutive 20-point performance.

“I’m hoping it won’t take me out,” Bueckers said Tuesday. “I’ll get some treatment, get some rest, take some medicine. So I’m hoping it doesn’t take me out.”

Head coach Chris Koclanes said Thursday the rookie guard’s absence from practice was precautionary. “She should be fine for tomorrow,” he said, adding that her status was day to day.

Myisha Hines-Allen is a Game-Time Decision

Forward Myisha Hines-Allen, who missed Tuesday’s matchup with an ankle injury, was a partial participant in shootaround. Although she’s listed as probable to play, the Wings will determine her availability closer to game time.

Hines-Allen said after Thursday’s practice that getting back on the court, even in a limited capacity, was a welcome change.

“It felt good to finally be back on the court again with my teammates,” Hines-Allen said. “This is honestly the first year where I’ve had ankle problems, so that’s frustrating in itself. But knowing my teammates have my back, they want to see me healthy, they want to see me on the court so I can help them. Injuries are never fun, and they’re time-consuming, but to be able to get on the court with them today was amazing.”

Series Finale Set for Friday Night

Friday’s contest at College Park Center is the third and final meeting between the Wings (8-22) and Liberty (19-10) this season, with the series tied 1-1. Dallas won 92-82 on July 30 before New York evened the series earlier this week.

Koclanes said the focus has been on “subtle adjustments” while continuing to build chemistry with a young roster that recently added forward Diamond Miller via trade.

Tipoff is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. CT.

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Grant Afseth

Grant Afseth

Senior Writer
Grant Afseth is a Senior Writer for DallasHoopsJournal.com, where he leads in-depth coverage of the Mavericks, Wings, and more. Between a focus on the latest news, closer looks at games, front office strategy, and more, Afseth provides objective coverage. Afseth contributes broader NBA coverage across platforms and has been cited in national outlets for his reporting and analysis. With nearly a decade of journalism experience, Afseth has covered the NBA and WNBA for multiple major outlets, including Athlon Sports, BallIsLife, Sportskeeda, and RG.org. He previously reported on the Indiana Pacers for CNHI’s Kokomo Tribune and the Mavericks for FanNation.