Stacy Revere/Getty Images
DALLAS, TEXAS – JUNE 27: Paige Bueckers #5 of the Dallas Wings walks backcourt during a game against the Indiana Fever at American Airlines Center on June 27, 2025 in Dallas, Texas.
Paige Bueckers dealt with her share of injuries during her celebrated career at UConn, and some of those ailments have followed her to the WNBA with the Dallas Wings.
The 23-year-old phenom missed three games last month in concussion protocol and then sat out with an illness upon her return.
Most recently, Bueckers was sidelined for Saturday’s 79-71 win over the Washington Mystics — the second half of a back-to-back — with a right knee issue.
While little was known about Bueckers’ condition at the time, she shed more light on the exact nature of her injury after returning to practice.
Speaking Wednesday with reporters, Bueckers clarified that it’s not a new issue.
“I’ve been dealing with patellar tendonitis since I was in high school,” Bueckers said in a YouTube video posted by the Dallas Hoops Journal’s Grant Afseth. “In a sense, you’re managing it at all times. There’s no day where it probably doesn’t hurt.”
Paige Bueckers Has Been the WNBA’s Top Rookie
Injuries aside, Bueckers has had a relatively smooth transition to the WNBA. The No. 1 overall pick in April’s draft is averaging 18.4 points, 5.8 assists, 4.4 rebounds and 1.1 steals on 46.1% shooting in 13 games, cementing herself as the clear frontrunner for Rookie of the Year.
She recently won Rookie of the Month for June and was named a starter for the All-Star Game on July 19 in Indianapolis, a rare achievement for a rookie.
Bueckers last played Friday against the Indiana Fever, scoring 27 points with six assists over 36 minutes in a 94-86 loss. She was expected to return to the lineup on Thursday against the Phoenix Mercury.
Bueckers has been careful not to push the injury, knowing the toll it takes on her body.
“It usually never feels great the day after the game,” Bueckers told reporters. “We usually either have an off-day or a light practice day to where I can recover. Assuming I would either have to play a lot of minutes or be managed, we thought it was the smart thing to do to rest and recover.”
Paige Bueckers Led UConn to an NCAA Title
After exploding onto the scene as a freshman at UConn to win national player of the year in 2020-21, Bueckers played just 17 games over the next two seasons because of injuries. She suffered a tibial plateau fracture as a sophomore and then was sidelines for the entire 2022-23 campaign with an ACL tear.
Bueckers was back to her dominant ways in her final two seasons with the Huskies, earning back-to-back All-American honors. In her final act in college, Bueckers ushered UConn to its record 12th national championship, averaging 24.8 points in the NCAA Tournament.
She won the Wade Trophy as a senior, given to the nation’s top player.
The Wings took Bueckers first overall in the draft, pairing the playmaking point guard with a proficient scorer in Arike Ogunbowale. Despite Bueckers’ strong play, the Wings entered Thursday with a 5-13 record.
Douglas Bonjour is a breaking news contributor covering the NFL, NBA, NHL, MLB and WNBA for Heavy. He is also a contributing writer for The Associated Press and has worked for Point Spreads, the Connecticut Post and Hearst Connecticut Media as a reporter and editor. More about Douglas Bonjour
More Heavy on Wings
Loading more stories
