It’s a battle of who gets back on track first. The Connecticut Sun and Dallas Wings are both in deep waters, trying not to sink any further. The Sun are riding a four-game losing streak and praying for a turnaround. Meanwhile, the Wings finally snagged their second win of the season and now they’re hunting for a back-to-back W. And leading that charge is rookie sensation Paige Bueckers, who’s back in Connecticut with momentum.
Tipoff at Mohegan Sun Arena is set for 6:30 p.m. CT, and it’ll air nationally on ION. You know the Connecticut crowd is going to show out for UConn former, and she’ll definitely be gunning for another double-digit night. But can this short-handed Dallas squad really go 2-0 against the Sun?
Injury report & starting five
The Wings might be flying again, but they’re still flying with half a wing. Maddy Siegrist and Tyasha Harris are still down with knee injuries. And Teaira McCowan and Luisa Geiselsoder are still overseas at EuroBasket. So the injury report hasn’t gotten any shorter, but at least it hasn’t grown either.
For Sun, Leila Lacan’s out till July (expected).
May 29, 2025; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Dallas Wings guard Paige Bueckers (5) celebrates with guard Arike Ogunbowale (24) during the first half against the Chicago Sky at the Wintrust Arena. Mandatory Credit: Patrick Gorski-Imagn Images
Dallas Wings (Expected Starters):
Paige Bueckers
Arike Ogunbowale
NaLyssa Smith
Myisha Hines-Allen
Aziaha James
Connecticut Sun (Expected Starters):
Tina Charles
Marina Mabrey
Olivia Nelson-Ododa
Bria Hartley
Jacy Sheldon
Will the Sun take revenge or will Paige Bueckers & Co. go back-to-back?
Just three weeks ago, Dallas marched into Connecticut and walked away with a 109-87 win. Bueckers, in her UConn homecoming game, dropped a then-career-high 21 points and had the whole state buzzing. Now she’s back and this time, she’s got a little more rhythm. After helping the Wings take down the Golden State Valkyries 80-71 in their last outing, she’s definitely feeling herself.
Also, Dallas just added some reinforcements. They brought in Kaila Charles and Haley Jones on hardship contracts, and picked up Li Yueru in a trade with Seattle. So the roster’s still light, but it’s not quite as empty as before. As for Connecticut, they’ve got their own weapons. Marina Mabrey is still doing her thing – averaging 15.8 points, 5.2 boards, and nearly 4 assists a game.
If the Wings slack off even a bit, Mabrey could make them pay. Plus, the Sun really want revenge. They’ve lost four straight and are desperate to stop the bleeding. Stat-wise? It’s a weird matchup. Connecticut’s only making 6.1 threes a game, which is way below what Dallas tends to give up (9.4). Dallas hits about 6.7 threes themselves, which again, is lower than what the Sun allows. So neither team is lighting it up from deep.
MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA – SEPTEMBER 29: Marina Mabrey #4 of the Connecticut Sun celebrates her basket against the Minnesota Lynx in the third quarter of Game One of the Semi-Finals during the WNBA Playoffs at Target Center on September 29, 2024 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The Sun defeated the Lynx 73-70. (Photo by David Berding/Getty Images)
But our pick here is Wings. Why? Simply because momentum matters. Paige is rolling, Arike’s heating up, and their 2025 outlook is brighter than their 2-11 record may indicate.
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