Paige Bueckers Explains ‘Frustrating’ World Cup Injury Issue Before Wings Return

Paige Bueckers addressed the injury issue that kept her sidelined for most of Team USA's World Cup final against France.

Paige Bueckers looks on during a USA FIBA World Cup Game. | IMAGO / Eibner

Women's basketball fans were collectively confused when Dallas Wings star guard Paige Bueckers only played three minutes in the first half of Team USA's FIBA World Cup final game against France on Sunday.

Confusion turned to concern when Bueckers didn't check back into the game after halftime, thus finishing with three minutes played. After the game ended, a video of Bueckers grabbing her right knee and then limping into the locker room a few minutes before that USA vs. France game surfaced.

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This indicated that Bueckers' lack of playing time might have been due to an injury, both helping explain her lack of playing time and adding concern about Bueckers' status for the remainder of the Wings' regular season.

Bueckers provided a telling update on this when speaking to the media on Wednesday, saying that the patellar tendinitis she has been dealing with since high school "flared up" at the World Cup, which resulted in her limited playing time against France.

“There was two back-to-backs... Just wanted to be cautious, take that approach. Obviously the timing was frustrating, but being smart about it too, knowing that there’s a reason and purpose for everything," Bueckers added about the injury, per Drake Keeler.

What Paige Bueckers' Knee Issue Might Mean for Rest of Wings Season

The good news for Wings fans is that Bueckers' knee issue doesn't appear to be following her to the team's home game against the Los Angeles Sparks on Thursday, as Bueckers isn't listed on Dallas' injury report.

Bueckers has had to monitor this chronic knee issue for her entire college and professional career, and she will have to continue to do so.

While Bueckers didn't say this directly, there seems to be a decent chance that she could have played through the pain if Team USA needed her to against France. This is the case because she did play in the first half before ultimately missing the second half.

Team USA didn't need Bueckers—or at least didn't need her enough to risk her worsening the knee injury—because that roster is loaded with other superstars who made up for her absence.

The same can't be said for the Wings, as Bueckers is their best player. And Dallas will need her down the stretch if they have any chance of making their presence felt in the postseason.

One would assume that Bueckers would be willing to play through the pain if she was in the same circumstance for the Wings as opposed to Team USA. But the hope is that this pain has subsided enough for that not to be a decision she must make for the rest of this season.