The Dallas Wings finished their 2025 campaign with a 10-34 record and no postseason appearance, but Paige Bueckers “wouldn’t trade it for anything.”

“People can look at the results and say, ‘How can you be happy with a 10-win season?’ But I know I will look back at the end of my career and be really appreciative for this rookie season,” she said on Thursday night. 

The team showed a valiant effort in their last game of the year with a 97-76 win against the Phoenix Mercury. The result made no difference for the Wings when it comes to the league standings, but it helped to end a struggle-filled season on a positive note and show a glimpse of what they could become.

“Just a whole bunch of potential,” Bueckers said.

The Wings’ 34 losses tied with this year’s Chicago Sky for most losses ever in a WNBA season. A lot of things went wrong for Dallas this year, but so far it’s looking like Bueckers is willing to tough it out and help turn the franchise around. She recently quoted Golden State Warriors star Stephen Curry when sending a message to the Wings.

“I remember Steph Curry, before the Warriors became the Warriors,” Bueckers said. “He tweeted out like, ‘Just stick with us. We’re going to figure it out.’ That’s the message… I just have this undying belief in it.”

Bueckers met expectations

There were high expectations around Bueckers as the No. 1 overall pick, similar to what Indiana Fever star Caitlin Clark faced last year en route to a historic season that earned her the Rookie of the Year honor. There have been a lot of comparison between the two guards, but they both deserve to shine in their own way.

Bueckers was not a flashy player at UConn and that has not changed in the WNBA. However, her game is well-rounded, understated and efficient. 

“I think that Paige is such a special player, not only because she can score in such variety — three levels, four, obviously she does all the little things — but I think she also does the right thing,” her teammate Haley Jones told DallasHoopsJournal.com. “At the end of the game, she could take the shot, and a lot of times she passes. She has faith in us. I think just her basketball IQ and making every single person around her better is insane.”

Bueckers practically locked in the Rookie of the Year award when she scored 44 points on Aug. 20, which tied the single-game WNBA rookie scoring record, set the season high for points in a game and made her the first player in league history to register 40+ points while shooting 80% or better from the field.

Bueckers set a new Dallas rookie scoring record while averaging 19.2 points per contest, which is fifth-best in the league this season. She shot 47.7% from the field, which is third-highest this season amongst guards. In addition, she held a team-best 5.4 assists and 1.6 steals per game, both in the top 10 league-wide. 

However, what gives Wings head coach Chris Koclanes the most confidence about Bueckers’ future are the things that don’t show up on the boxscore.

“Just incredible when that’s your leader,” Koclanes said on Thursday. “Just so on point with it and she leads by example. You want that, the way she shows up. Not only the words she speaks, but in her behaviors, in her actions day in and day out.”

What’s next for the Wings 

Although Bueckers had an outstanding rookie season, her achievements alone didn’t translate into wins for the Wings.

The team struggled with consistency in the lineup and therefore didn’t always have the best chemistry on the court. Dallas was particularly thin at the guard position with Tyasha Harris, Arike Ogunbowale and JJ Quinerly ending their season early due to injuries. Haley Jones, Aziaha James and Bueckers also missed some playing time. 

There was a lot of hype around Bueckers and Ogunbowale as a backcourt duo, but they had trouble gelling early in the season, and ran out of time to figure it out when Ogunbowale got sidelined because of knee tendinitis. Another offensive weakness for the team was not having a consistent 3-point shooter.

Koclanes arrived to Dallas with a reputation of being a “defensive-minded tactician,” but the Wings allowed opponents the most points per game in the league. The lack of personnel in the frontcourt was particularly problematic. After having post woes early in the season, things got more complicated in June when Teaira McCowan and Luisa Geiselsoder left to participate in EuroBasket Women. That would have left the team without a true center had they not acquired Li Yueru. Yueru played well for the Wings until her time on the court was cut short when she suffered an ACL injury mid-August.

Merely getting players healthy this offseason will be a big boost for Dallas, but it still needs to strengthen the roster via free agency and the draft. The Wings have a 40% chance of earning the No. 1 pick for the 2026 WNBA Draft, and the class of 2026 has extremely promising stars, such as Bueckers’ former UConn teammate Azzi Fudd, who would help Dallas on offense as an elite shooter. Another good option would be UCLA’s Lauren Betts, who could give the Wings a dominant presence in the paint.

The offseason just started, but Koclanes, just like Bueckers, is excited about the possibilities for the Wings.

“I’m excited about now getting a chance to reflect even more and with having some consistency for year two, we are starting at a different place,” he said. “We are taking so much learning from this year that is only going to propel us here going forward. Incredibly grateful for all of the experiences this year.”