WNBA Makes Paige Bueckers, Caitlin Clark Announcement on Thursday originally appeared on Athlon Sports. After missing the past four games due to a concussion and an illness, rookie Paige Bueckers made her return to the court for the Dallas Wings.

Bueckers returned to the court Wednesday night after missing four games due to concussion protocol and an illness.

Former UConn Huskies Paige Bueckers returned to WNBA endeavors in style despite another loss for the Dallas Wings.

Dallas Wings rookie Paige Bueckers scored a career-high 35 points in her return to the court Wednesday night, but it came in a 93-80 loss to the Phoenix Mercury. Bueckers, the No. 1 pick in the 2025 WNBA Draft, had missed three games while in concussion protocol and another one due to illness.

As Dallas fell to 1-10 with a 93-80 loss to Alyssa Thomas and the Phoenix Mercury on Wednesday, No. 1 Paige Bueckers dropped a career-high 35 points and six rebounds on 13-of-19 from the field and 5-of-7 from deep.

Paige Bueckers #5 of the Dallas Wings dribbles around a screen set by teammate NaLyssa Smith #1 of the Dallas Wings on Sami Whitcomb #33 of the Phoenix Mercury during the second half of a WNBA Commissioner's Cup game at PHX Arena on June 11, 2025 in Phoenix, Arizona.

DiJonai Carrington, one of the Wings’ new guards and the WNBA’s Most Improved Player in 2024, has cultivated a unique online persona that has led to work with brands such as EOS, Savage Fenty and Reebok.

Satou Sabally was the game’s top performer. She scored 20 points, grabbed nine rebounds, dished out two assists, and recorded one block. Tibbets focused on stopping Bueckers and Ogunbowale from scoring.

Paige Bueckers and DiJonai Carrington have a love-hate relationship. It is mostly love, but Carrington did label the No. 1 overall pick as "bothersome"

With the Dallas Wings stuck in a deep slump at 1-10, moments of levity have become rare but one shining light has been the budding bond between rookie phenom Paige Bueckers and fie

The former UConn star made history in this one by becoming just the second rookie to ever register at least 35 points and five triples in a single game. The only other player to have achieved that same mark was Caitlin Clark during her debut campaign with the Indiana Fever last season.