Paige Bueckers Injury Update, Latest News on Star's Status for Wings vs. Fire

Dallas Wings star Paige Bueckers will miss a matchup with the Portland Fire on Saturday due to an ankle injury, the team announced.

Bueckers was previously listed as questionable for the contest.

She suffered the injury while attempting to grab a rebound in the second quarter of the Wings' 85-70 win over the Phoenix Mercury on Thursday.

Bueckers briefly exited the game before returning and playing 32 minutes in the victory. She scored 31 points and grabbed six rebounds to go along with five assists, shooting 14-of-20 from the field and 3-of-5 from three-point territory.

The former UConn standout discussed the injury after the game.

"Just had to go in the back, get taped," Bueckers said, per Myah Taylor of the Dallas Morning News. "Adrenaline is the best drug, so [I] didn't really feel it during the game. Just wanted to power through, help the team get a win."

Despite the return on Thursday, she'll now miss her first game of the 2026 season after appearing in each of Dallas' initial 12 contests of the year.

Wings head coach Jose Fernandez said Saturday that Bueckers will be "day-to-day" moving forward while her absence against Portland was "out of a long season and caution," per Dallas Hoops Journal's Grant Afseth.

It's understandable for Dallas to take a cautious approach with Bueckers' health, as the team has already opened this season with a record of 8-4.

The 2025 Rookie of the Year has been a key factor in the Wings' success, averaging 19.8 points, 5.8 assists and 3.6 rebounds per game on 52.3/42.9/78.6 shooting splits.

With Bueckers out, Arike Ogunbowale and Jessica Shepard should operate in larger offensive roles against the Fire on Saturday. Tip-off is at 8:30 p.m. ET.