Missed clutch plays have been piling up like bad habits for the Wings this season. From costly turnovers in crunch time against Seattle to defensive breakdowns on the fast break against Phoenix, the list keeps growing. Now, they’ve added another painful one: an untimely offensive drought late in the game against Las Vegas. This one stings more than most, as Dallas came heartbreakingly close to snapping their six-game losing streak. Instead, they watched a comfortable 11-point lead with just over four minutes left slip through their fingers like sand, ultimately falling short in an 88–84 loss. And while Koclanes did express disappointment with the team’s play in the 3rd quarter, he could not help but admit the blame that lies with him.
In the fourth quarter, there were some key moments surrounding DiJonai Carrington that Chris Koclanes could have challenged. With under three minutes left, after a contested out-of-bounds call was ruled off of DiJonai Carrington, she loudly urged HC Chris Koclanes to use a challenge, but he declined. Then, just two minutes later, Carrington was whistled for a foul on Jackie Young, a call she swears was a jump ball. Again, she pleaded for the coach to challenge. Yet Koclanes still passed. Shortly thereafter, Young made both free throws. During the timeout that followed, cameras captured a tense exchange between Carrington and Koclanes with clips exploding across social media.
This lapse by Koclanes undid all the efforts the team had made till then. So, Koclanes had to admit it in the postgame presser. He stated, “Had a challenge, I probably should have used one of them there before three minutes because I also had another timeout that you lose it anyway.” He said this all while staring down at the table with his hands fidgeting. Chris knew he had messed up; that body language gave it all away. However, that act of acceptance is really not enough to make it up to the squad.
In moments like these, when the squad requires their leader to be strategically sharp, Chris has lacked time and time again. Against the Lynx, his poor timeout usage killed momentum. Versus the Sparks, his defense collapsed with no adjustments. And following the Chicago defeat, his postgame comments about “togetherness” simply rang hollow. Paige Bueckers and Dallas are directionless, and to make things worse, their power center is leaving.
Yes, Luisa Geiselsoder is heading to EuroBasket 2025 with Germany. She departed Dallas on June 14 to join the national team in Hamburg. There, she will face heavyweights like Spain and Great Britain. Ideally, this could be a chance to rack up wins and reignite her confidence—something she’s missed during a tough stretch in Dallas. But, instead, she’s feeling torn. As she candidly admitted, “It’s tough to leave the team right now.” And she’s right to feel so. Because back-to-back losses build a different kind of bond. They teach you how to lean on each other when nothing else is working out. And maybe, just maybe, that kind of loyalty is harder to walk away from than most people think.
However, the German team is no stranger to her; she has an allegiance to pay there, too. “Um, but yeah, I mean I’m also excited for Eurobasket, I mean that’s my team too. That’s my family since I was 13 years old,” she said. After all, Geiselsöder has been a core part of Germany’s national program since her teenage years. She earned MVP honors at the 2016 FIBA U-16 European Championship, averaging 14.7 points and 8.9 rebounds, and later led Germany to a gold medal at the 2018 U18 European Championship. She made her senior national team debut in 2019, and she has remained a consistent contributor ever since. So, you know why she’s at a major crossroads right now.
Paige Bueckers’ stats after returning
It was Paige Bueckers’ second start for the Dallas Wings in their Commissioner’s Cup matchup against Las Vegas at Michelob ULTRA Arena. She had returned to the lineup after missing four games. The rookie guard joined Arike Ogunbowale, Luisa Geiselsöder, Myisha Hines-Allen, and DiJonai Carrington in the starting five. For this game against the Aces, she was coming fresh off a career-best 35-point explosion against Phoenix.
In that matchup against the Phoenix, Paige Bueckers was absolutely dialed in. She went an incredible 13-for-19 from the field, knocking down 5 of her 7 three-point attempts, and didn’t miss a single one of her 4 free throws. Beyond her scoring, she even managed to contribute six rebounds, four assists, a steal, and a block, all in over 36 minutes of action. With a +12 plus/minus, that day, she was undeniably the driving force behind the Wings’ offense that night. The performance did not translate into a win, however, it was one of the most well-rounded ones of her early career.
The third quarter provided a glimpse of Bueckers’ elite potential, though. With Dallas down nine, the top draft pick turned up her intensity there. She attempted six shots while displaying the offense that made her the #1 pick. Her six-point, four-assist outburst helped spark a turnaround that gave the Wings a six-point advantage. But that resurgence proved to be short-lived.
Bueckers went cold again in the final frame. She was able to make just one of five attempts as Dallas lost an 11-point lead to extend their skid to seven straight games. She finally finished with 16 points on 7-of-19 shooting (0-2 from three, 2-2 FT), five assists, two rebounds, and two steals in 37:42 minutes. All of it ended with a -6 plus/minus.
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