Dallas Wings Star Paige Bueckers Returns Against Portland Fire, Alanna Smith Out

PORTLAND, Oregon — Paige Bueckers is active for the Dallas Wings‘ game at the Portland Fire on Wednesday, while Alanna Smith is out, Dallas announced in its final injury report ahead of the 9 p.m. CT tip-off at Moda Center.

Bueckers went through the Wings’ full shootaround Wednesday morning, and it turned out to mean exactly what it looked like. She had been held out of Monday’s overtime loss to New York as a precaution after hitting her head on the floor in a collision with Nneka Ogwumike during Sunday’s win over the Los Angeles Sparks. She was never placed in the concussion protocol, but Dallas opted not to risk it with a five-day break on the other side of Wednesday’s game.

Her return matters. Over Dallas’s six-game winning streak earlier this month, Bueckers averaged 23.8 points, 5.5 rebounds, and 7.0 assists on 53% shooting from the field and 93.3% from the free-throw line, numbers that make clear how much the offense missed her Monday even with Arike Ogunbowale scoring a team-high 29 points.

Alanna Smith Remains Sidelined

Smith worked with the team’s training staff rather than joining the on-court portion of Wednesday’s shootaround, and she’ll sit for a fourth straight game. She hasn’t played since July 12, when she suffered a right leg injury in a win over the Chicago Sky.

Dallas has started Awak Kuier next to Jessica Shepard frequently, and the frontcourt rotation has held up fine in her absence, often leaning on Li Yueru when needing to match size.

Dallas Chasing a Best Start Ever

Dallas enters at 17-9, the best 26-game start in franchise history, and a win Wednesday would send the Wings into the All-Star break, which runs Thursday through Monday, with the best record they’ve ever carried into it. Bueckers being active only helps that case.

Dallas already knows this Portland team can be a tough out. The Fire beat the Wings 84-83 in a Commissioner’s Cup game on June 13 at Moda Center, with Emily Engstler winning it at the free-throw line in the final seconds.

Portland enters Wednesday at 11-15 after a 101-93 road loss to the Minnesota Lynx on July 18, in which Bridget Carleton scored 22 points on 6-of-9 shooting from three-point range.

How To Watch

Tip-off is set for 9 p.m. CT at Moda Center. The game airs nationally on USA Network with Meghan McPeak and Lea B. Olsen on the call, and locally on KFAA with Ron Thulin and Fran Harris.