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Paige Bueckers Says Body Rejected IV Before Late Scratch, Feels ‘Ready to Go’ vs. Atlanta Dream

Grant AfsethAugust 29, 2025August 30, 2025no comment

Paige Bueckers, Dallas Wings, WNBA, Washington Mystics

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Paige Bueckers’ absence on Wednesday night came as a surprise. The Dallas Wings guard went through shootaround and a pre-game workout before being scratched minutes ahead of tipoff in a 101-95 loss to the Connecticut Sun.

Bueckers said her body reacted poorly to pregame treatment, forcing the late scratch. While she’s still dealing with congestion, she made it clear she’s good to go.

“Just congestion-wise, being able to breathe. I actually planned on playing against Connecticut, but I ended up taking an IV right before the game and my body kind of rejected it,” Bueckers told DallasHoopsJournal.com. “That happened right before, so it was a late scratch. But honestly, I’m ready to go. As long as I can breathe and get up and down the floor, you’ll hear no excuses from me.”

Dallas Wings Dealing With Many Injuries

Upgraded to available for Friday’s matchup against the Atlanta Dream, Bueckers returns at a crucial time for a Wings team battered by injuries. Dallas (9-30) has leaned heavily on hardship contracts just to meet the league’s minimum of eight available players, with Arike Ogunbowale, Tyasha Harris, Aziaha James, Haley Jones, Luisa Geiselsöder, JJ Quinerly, and Li Yueru all sidelined.

Through 31 games, Bueckers has been one of Dallas’ few steadying forces. She is averaging 19.0 points, 5.2 assists, and 3.9 rebounds, and her production has climbed to 20.8 points and 4.4 assists over her last nine outings. That run included a 44-point performance in a one-point loss to the Sparks on Aug. 20, when she shot 17-of-21 from the field and made all 10 of her free throws.

But in the two games that followed, opponents responded with aggressive coverages designed to limit her impact. Against Seattle on Aug. 22, she was held to 11 points on 2-of-7 shooting in 22 minutes, though she converted 6-of-7 free throws. Golden State followed a similar blueprint on Aug. 24, holding her to 9 points on 3-of-12 shooting, though she still handed out 9 assists in 34 minutes.

For Bueckers, the key to improvement is turning those coverages into opportunities for the rest of the team.

“Just be aggressive. I feel like teams are playing me a little bit more, which leaves my teammates more open—more driving lanes for them, more open opportunities to shoot,” Bueckers told DallasHoopsJournal.com. “Especially off the double teams, we can play to those advantages and create opportunities that way.”

Dallas Wings Sign Paige Bueckers‘ UConn Teammate

To help offset the roster losses, Dallas signed former UConn standout Christyn Williams to an extreme hardship contract Friday and re-signed forward Amy Okonkwo to a second seven-day hardship deal. Serena Sundell also joined earlier this week, playing two minutes in her debut after only one practice and shootaround.

“I know Christyn has had a journey, kind of like mine, where she’s had to battle injuries and find her way in the league,” Bueckers said. “So it’s really awesome that she gets an opportunity to show. Obviously, being on the same team, for us to share that moment together is really exciting. I know she’s worked extremely hard to get here, and we have a great history playing together, so that’s always sisterhood. It’s really nice.”

The Wings open a four-game road trip in Atlanta, where the Dream (24-14) are jockeying for playoff seeding in a crowded top half of the standings. Atlanta dropped an 81-75 decision to the Las Vegas Aces on Wednesday, but has won two of three against Dallas this season. Bueckers scored 21 points in their most recent meeting, an 88-85 Dream win on July 30.

Tipoff at Gateway Center Arena is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. CT on ION.

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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.

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