“Like we only have ten bodies right now.” That was how Dallas Wings head coach Chris Koclanes kicked off his postgame presser—half-stern, half-defeated, and fully telling. You could hear the exhaustion, maybe even some resentment, creeping into his voice. His squad had just lost their eighth game of the season, falling 93-79 to the Sparks. And if you were expecting him to take the diplomatic route and shield his team from blame, think again. The frustration had simmered too long. On Friday night, it boiled over—and the message was loud and clear: this wasn’t about Paige Bueckers anymore. It was about those around her who weren’t showing up.
It wasn’t just what Koclanes said—it was how bluntly he laid it out. “Yeah, I mean, I just, I didn’t think we were very good tonight from the get-go,” he began, not sugarcoating a thing. “Like our starts for the first and third weren’t very good. We weren’t ready to play. Our coverages weren’t good. Our flow wasn’t good. We shot under 50% from the paint.”
Infact they abrely shot above 40 % and then came the most damning part.
“They exposed us more than anyone has for not having a point guard these past three games, right? That was very evident tonight.” That’s as close to an open admission as you’ll hear in the W. Paige Bueckers—the former UConn star and now Wings’ missing orchestrator—had been their floor general. And without her, the system was cracking wide open.
Koclanes didn’t hesitate to double down in the post-game presser: “We turned it over. They had all sorts of points off turnovers. So they just, they disrupted us a ton. And it was really tough to get organization out there.” Dallas committed 15 turnovers, leading to 21 LA points—an unforgivable figure in a league this competitive. The Sparks, by comparison, were far cleaner, conceding only 16 points off their own turnovers.
This wasn’t just a bad game. It was the fourth straight loss for Dallas, now sitting at a grim 1-8. And despite DiJonai Carrington’s 16 points and a career-high 14 from JJ Quinerly, the backcourt simply couldn’t keep pace with LA’s firepower. The Wings were outshot 55.6% to 42.5% from the field and 50–40 in the paint. Their size advantage? Neutralized. Their defense? Leaking fast-break points left and right.
“No, I mean, I think we have good size at the wings,” Koclanes admitted. “And then in the post, maybe we’re a little undersized. But I think we are exploring playing different types of ways.” It was the only glimpse of strategic optimism on a night where not much else went right.
Meanwhile, the Sparks were thriving. Azura Stevens led with 21 points and a career-high five threes. Dearica Hamby added 20, and Odyssey Sims—fresh off a 32-point game against Phoenix—dropped 19 more. The Sparks blitzed Dallas in the second half, opening the fourth quarter on a 9-0 run to take a 21-point lead. By the time Stevens hit her fifth three, it was curtains.
So why did Chris Koclanes throw his players under the bus? Well, because this was a rough one, flat-out one of the Wings’ worst showings of the season.
After the opening two minutes, Dallas never held the lead again. The game quickly slipped away, and with Paige Bueckers still sidelined under concussion protocol, someone had to take accountability.
Bueckers and Ty Harris Near Return as Wings Eye Crucial Matchup Against Lynx
But now that the loss is behind them and the Wings are prepping to face Napheesa Collier and the Lynx in Dallas, it’s clear they need more than just accountability—they need structure, rhythm, and, most importantly, their backcourt leaders.
With Paige Bueckers out due to a concussion and Ty Harris sidelined by a knee injury, the team’s offense has been disjointed. Head Coach Chris Koclanes acknowledged that openly in the post-game presser after losing to the LA Sparks : “It hurts when you don’t have a Paige and a Ty Harris who are people that really bring organization on the offensive end.”
May 19, 2025; Arlington, Texas, USA; Dallas Wings guard Paige Bueckers (5) in action during the game between the Dallas Wings and the Seattle Storm at College Park Center. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images
The good news? Both Bueckers and Harris are expected to return by June 8, just a day before the crucial matchup against the Lynx on June 9.
Bueckers, who banged heads with Courtney Vandersloot last week and entered concussion protocol, was back at practice on Thursday. While she didn’t participate in full team drills, ClutchPoints reporter Joey Mistretta noted she was on the court, riding the exercise bike. Melissa Triebwasser of DFW Sports Beat added that Bueckers was present but not involved in active reps.
Even limited involvement signals progress. And for the Wings, that’s huge.
The No. 1 overall pick has had a solid rookie campaign so far, averaging 14.7 points, 6.7 assists (4th in the WNBA), 4.5 rebounds, 2 steals, and 1 block in May. Her absence has been glaring, especially for a team still adjusting to a new coach and system. Dallas currently sits at 1-8, dead last in the league, and is desperate for a turnaround.
All eyes now turn to June 9, when Bueckers’ return could ignite the turnaround the Wings so desperately need.
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