Wings Coach Addresses Paige Bueckers Status After Hard Hit to Head

The Dallas Wings fell to 6-14 on the 2025 WNBA season after getting blown out by the Phoenix Mercury on July 7, losing by a score of 102-72.
It was a frustrating overall performance from Dallas. But there is more concern about the status of star guard Paige Bueckers, who took a hit to the head from Mercury player Kalani Brown while going for a layup at one point in the game.
While no foul was called, Bueckers was clearly shaken up after the contact, looking to rub her ear where Brown hit her while getting up and back on defense. And a TikTok that @espnW posted makes it look pretty obvious that Bueckers (who finished with just 11 points in 24 minutes played) was hit on the head by Brown during the layup, which the referees missed.
opps playing on paige bueckers name tonight but i don't even have the energy to give a single fck or entertain it because all i can think of right now is if she's okay😭 that hit did not look good, the last thing she needs is to be in concussion protocol again pic.twitter.com/FiiXllvHZd
— A ✰ paige bueckers #roty 🔜🏆 (@5ari___) July 8, 2025
Sat out most of the game. Hope she doesn’t have another concussion. pic.twitter.com/jgJkm9ZiTo
— Ken Swift (@kenswift) July 8, 2025
Wings coach Chris Koclanes spoke with the media after Monday's loss and was asked about how Bueckers is doing after taking the hard hit.
"Yup. We talked to her here, she's feeling okay," Koclanes said, per an X post from Joey Mistretta of ClutchPoints.
Chris Koclanes' full answer on how Paige Bueckers is feeling after taking a hard hit during tonight's game:
— Joey Mistretta (@JoeyMistretta_) July 8, 2025
"Yup. We talked to her here, she's feeling okay." https://t.co/KsU3j1H0s7
While to head injury to any player in any sport is concerning, it's perhaps especially so for Bueckers, as she missed several games earlier this season because she was in concussion protocol.
The Wings have a relatively quick turnaround, as they face that Chicago Sky on July 9. Therefore, Dallas' training staff will surely be keeping a close eye on how Bueckers recovers from this hit to the head, and fans would be wise to look out for updates on her status as Wednesday's game approaches.
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Grant Young covers Women’s Basketball, the New York Yankees, and the New York Mets for Sports Illustrated’s ‘On SI’ sites. He holds an MFA degree in creative writing from the University of San Francisco (USF), where he also graduated with a Bachelor’s Degree in Marketing and played on USF’s Division I baseball team for five years. However, he now prefers Angel Reese to Angels in the Outfield.
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