PORTLAND, Ore. -- Dallas Wings star Paige Bueckers missed Saturday's 84-83 loss to the Portland Fire because of a right ankle injury.
Dallas coach Jose Fernandez said Bueckers will be day-to-day.
"It's a long season," Fernandez said before the game. "Paige is who she is. Trust me, Paige wants to be on the floor tonight. But the best thing for her longevity, for her career, for the franchise is making sure we take care of her, and she takes care of her body."
Bueckers suffered the injury midway through the second quarter of the Wings' matchup against the Minnesota Lynx on Thursday. She briefly went to the tunnel during a timeout but was back on the court less than one minute later. She later said she went back to get her ankle taped up.
Bueckers went on to score a season-high 31 points on 14-of-20 shooting, six rebounds and five assists. The 2025 No. 1 pick, she is averaging 19.8 points this season on 32.4 minutes.
"Adrenaline is the best drug, so [I] didn't really feel it during the game," Bueckers said after the contest. "Just wanted to power through, help the team get a win."
Hernandez said Bueckers got treatment on the team's flight to Portland on Friday and then had more work done on her ankle Saturday morning. Initially, she was listed as questionable before being downgraded to out about three hours before tipoff.
The Wings (8-5) are 3-2 in Commissioner's Cup play and will host the defending champion Las Vegas Aces on Monday.
