The Dallas Wings’ 2025 WNBA season is spiraling, and there’s no easy fix in sight. On June 8, they dropped their ninth loss of the year, falling 81-65 to the Minnesota Lynx, despite strong scoring efforts from Arike Ogunbowale (26 points) and Maddy Siegrist (15 points).
Still searching for rhythm and consistency, especially without star guard Paige Bueckers, head coach Chris Koclanes is urging the team to zoom out and focus on fundamentals.
Chris Koclanes Offers a Solution to the Wings’ Offensive Struggles
Following the loss, Koclanes didn’t sugarcoat the Wings’ issues. In his postgame remarks, he said the team needs to get back to basics, especially in Bueckers’ absence, and simplify their approach.
“Continue to emphasize just simple plays. We get the ball to the paint, we do. There’s no denying that we’re getting the ball to the paint. Now our growth area is, one, are we taking the right shots in the paint?
“Because, a couple of games in a row now, I think we’re under 30 percent from the paint. And then are we seeing the kicks when we get there? So that’s our growth opportunity,” Koclanes said after the game.
The stat sheet from the loss to Minnesota shows the cracks. Dallas finished with more turnovers (17) than assists (14), a sign of the team’s lack of offensive flow.
They started slow, trailing by 10 at the end of the first quarter. They narrowed the gap slightly by halftime but still trailed by seven. The fourth quarter was a collapse — they scored just nine points, sealing yet another frustrating defeat.
Bueckers’ absence has only added to the Wings’ woes. Koclanes noted earlier that missing both Bueckers and Tyasha Harris has hurt their offensive organization.
“It hurts when you don’t have a Paige and a [Tyasha] Harris, who are people who really bring organization on the offensive end. It challenges you in different ways,” Koclanes said after a recent loss to the Sparks.
Before being sidelined, Bueckers was averaging 14.7 points, 6.7 assists and 4.5 rebounds per game, shooting 43.7% from the field and 33.3% on 3-pointers.
Her playmaking, tempo control and sharp passing could have made a major difference, particularly in reducing turnovers and creating easier looks for her teammates.
Bueckers has been out since May 29 after a collision with Chicago Sky guard Courtney Vandersloot resulted in a head injury. Though she cleared concussion protocol this past Saturday, June 7, she missed their June 8 game due to an unrelated illness.
The good news: Dallas is optimistic she could return for the June 11 matchup against the Phoenix Mercury.
As the Wings look to stop the bleeding early in the season, Koclanes’ message is clear: this tough stretch without Bueckers must be a turning point.