The nonchalant queen of Dallas is not so nonchalant after all. Paige Bueckers fiercely slammed the ball to the wall after missing a shot in practice for Dallas. Bueckers’ anger was short-lived as she continued with their practice, and why wouldn’t it be? The Wings are playing some of the best basketball of their season. And they are finally closing out games and getting results for the most part, as they have 3 wins in their last five games. Wings could have been 5-0 if not for some close calls and misfortune, as they lost in OT against the Mystics and failed to complete their resilient comeback against the Indiana Fever.
After the rookie revolution of their last game against the Phoenix, where they went with four of them in the starting lineup, they face the bruised Mercury once again. Azaiha James owned the previous matchup, scoring 28 points, grabbing six rebounds, and dishing out six assists. James went 10-20 from the field and 5-9 from beyond the arc, becoming the 5th Rookie to score 25 or more points, grab five or more rebounds, dish out five or more assists, and hit at least five 3-pointers in a WNBA game. James showed that Bueckers is not the only talented rookie on this Wings roster.
“This league is fast-paced, and one of the things I’ve been working on is patience,” James said in a press conference. “I feel like I was patient tonight, allowed my shots to come to me, and just took the right ones.”
Kahleah Copper came out blazing, dropping 33 points for the 11th 30-point game of her career, showing she’s still every bit the superstar. Satou Sabally added a strong 20, and Monique Akoa Makani pitched in with 14, but it wasn’t enough to patch up a leaky Phoenix defense. The Mercury let Dallas torch them early, giving up 32 points in the first quarter, and never fully recovered. Despite a spirited third-quarter push, Phoenix couldn’t cool off the Wings, who shot nearly 48% from the field and almost 36 % from deep. James will be looking to repeat her heroics in the rematch, while Copper has revenge on her mind. But it’s not all rosy in Dallas, as Paige Bueckers and Co. are battling through an injury crisis, which they’ve handled impressively so far.
Dallas Wings vs Phoenix Mercury: Injury Report
The Wings will still be without star veteran Arike Ogunbowale, who is out with a thumb injury, and DiJonai Carrington is still recovering from her rib injury. Those two are yet to return for a full practice session, so their return seems to be still days away. Maddy Siegrist remains out with an anterolateral tibial plateau fracture in her right knee. There are positive signs regarding her recovery, as according to Joey Mistretta of ClutchPoints, she is off crutches and taking shots in practice.
Arike Ogunbowale and DiJonai Carrington did not practice today.
— Joey Mistretta (@JoeyMistretta_) July 5, 2025
For the Phoenix Mercury, Lexi Brown remains out with her collapsed lung, which she sustained against the New York Liberty on June 19. Held had her initial treatment in New York and was cleared soon after. Held recently posted a story of her riding a bike in the Phoenix Mercury facility, but no signs of her on-court comeback yet.
Predicted Lineups:
Dallas Wings
Li Yueru
Luisa Geiselsoder
Paige Bueckers
Aziaha James
JJ Quinerly
Phoenix Mercury
Alyssa Thomas
Kathryn Westbeld
Satou Sabally
Kahleah Copper
Monique Akoa Makani
Dallas Wings vs Phoenix Mercury: Match Preview
The Wings have a mental edge over Mercury in this matchup, coming into the wake of their win without their veterans. Wings defeated the high-flying Mercury in a pretty convincing fashion, even without any exeprerience, on their starting line-up. They just pressed the Phoenix defense to its limit. As the popular saying goes, attack is the best defense. But will that work twice against a team of veteran stars like Satou Sabally and Alyssa Thomas? The way Dallas is feeling, they might just do that.
The youngsters are fearless, and they don’t care who their opponent is or who is missing from their lineup. “We’ve won a game without Paige. Now we’ve won a game without Arike [Ogunbowale],” Koclanes said post-game. “Everyone on that roster can contribute. That’s our competitive depth, and everyone is going to continue to buy into that.”
A team effort is what they are looking at, as showcased in their last game. On a rare occasion where she was second fiddle to James, Paige Bueckers scored 23 points with four rebounds and five assists. The bigs played their part as Li Yueru had 12 rebounds and 11 points. EuroBasket returnee Luisa Geiselsoder shot well but had four rebounds and three blocks, and Teaira McCowan added nine points from the bench.
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 main threat from Mercury will, of course, be Copper once again, along with Sabally. The defense has been a point of concern for both teams, but more so for the Wings this season, being the fourth-worst defensive side so far. For the Mercury, it’s been more of a problem in the recent games, conceding above 80 points in each of their last five. So it seems it will be a points-fest once again.
So, expect another offensive shootout. ESPN’s predictor gives Phoenix a 59.6 % chance to win, but the Wings have the momentum, belief, and depth to pull off another upset. All eyes now turn to Sunday’s rematch in Phoenix. If the Mercury can tighten up their defense and channel the leadership of their stars, they have every reason to even the score. But if the Wings play with the same fearless aggression and team unity, they might just prove that lightning can strike twice.
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