Wings: Paige Bueckers, out vs Liberty due to back injury

Paige Bueckers Misses Game Against Liberty Due to Injury

Dallas Wings rookie Paige Bueckers has been ruled out for the upcoming matchup against the New York Liberty due to a back injury that required treatment during the first encounter, three days ago. Bueckers will not play on Friday night in Texas after being listed as questionable the day before the game. During the second half of Tuesday’s 85-76 loss in New York, Bueckers went to the locker room for treatment. He returned to the bench and played in the final quarter.

After Tuesday’s game, this year’s first overall draft pick said she felt tension while dribbling and believes she has a muscle pull in her back.

Paige Bueckers

This will be the seventh game that Bueckers misses. She was absent for four games at the beginning of the season, the first three due to a concussion, before an illness sidelined her after she overcame the concussion protocol. Bueckers, the favorite to win the WNBA Rookie of the Year award, has been sidelined twice for rest, both times when the Wings played on back-to-back nights. The three-time Associated Press All-American from UConn leads all rookies in scoring (15 points per game) and assists (5.4), but the Wings entered the game tied with the Liberty with Chicago for the second-worst record in the league.