Latest news with #ChrisKoclanes
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Dallas Wings Receive Unfortunate Paige Bueckers News After Concussion Update
Dallas Wings Receive Unfortunate Paige Bueckers News After Concussion Update originally appeared on Athlon Sports. Paige Bueckers has been met with numerous challenges at the start of her WNBA career. After capping her superb NCAA stint with a national championship for the UConn Huskies, Bueckers joined the Dallas Wings as the top pick in the 2025 draft. But the former National Player of the Year has tasted victory only once in the pro ranks. Advertisement Bueckers' Wings are a WNBA-worst 1-8 entering Sunday's showdown with the 8-0 Minnesota Lynx. Dallas has dropped its past three games, all of them without Bueckers, as the point guard entered the WNBA's concussion protocol following a game against the Chicago Sky on May 29. While Bueckers was expected to play Sunday after she cleared concussion protocol, the Wings dealt their fans some unfortunate news on the pregame injury report: Dallas has ruled out Bueckers against the Lynx due to illness. Joining Bueckers on the status report is guard Ty Harris and center Teaira McCowan. Harris remains out due to a knee injury she sustained in the Wings' win over the Connecticut Sun on May 27, while McCowan is competing with Turkey's national team at the 2025 FIBA Women's Eurobasket tournament. Advertisement Though Dallas continues to play with a fast, aggressive mentality, the Wings have been hamstrung by injuries as first-year head coach Chris Koclanes attempts to build a winner around Bueckers and star guard Arike Ogunbowale. With Bueckers still sidelined on Sunday, Dallas' task gets even tougher against last season's WNBA finalists. "I'm not going to make excuses, I won't chalk it up, it hurts when you don't have a Paige and a Ty Harris," Koclanes said after Friday's home loss to the Los Angeles Sparks. Related: Dwyane Wade Sends Paige Bueckers Message Amid Rookie Season This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 8, 2025, where it first appeared.
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Paige Bueckers' Coach Assigns Blame for Disappointing Start to WNBA Season
Paige Bueckers' Coach Assigns Blame for Disappointing Start to WNBA Season originally appeared on Athlon Sports. The Dallas Wings had some hope that they would be at least somewhat competitive this season after they went a dismal 9-31 last year. Advertisement However, a few weeks into the 2025 WNBA season, they find themselves with a 1-8 record after falling to the Los Angeles Sparks on Friday by a final score of 93-79. Granted, guard Paige Bueckers, the No. 1 pick in this year's draft, has been out for the last three games after being placed in concussion protocol. But the Wings were already struggling beforehand. Head coach Chris Koclanes appears to have taken some accountability for the team's poor play by saying that he and his staff haven't gotten the job done in one area, per Joey Mistretta. "Wings HC Chris Koclanes said he and his coaching staff have done a 'poor' job of organizing rotations and gameplans to begin the 2025 season," Mistretta wrote on X. Koclanes is in his first season as a WNBA head coach. He had previously been an assistant coach for the Sparks and Connecticut Sun, as well as an assistant for the USC Trojans. Advertisement The Wings are in the midst of a rebuilding process, so some pain should be expected in the meantime while they look to develop Bueckers. However, fans are understandably impatient and looking for some sort of measurable progress. Bueckers was a big star at UConn, and she led the school to the women's NCAA championship just a couple of months ago. She is averaging 14.7 points and 6.7 assists a game so far this season. Dallas Wings guard Paige Bueckers© Patrick Gorski-Imagn Images The Wings have finished with a winning record just once in the last nine seasons, and they have won just one playoff series since 2009, back when they were known as the Detroit Shock. Advertisement Related: Paige Bueckers' Coach Delivers Blunt Response on Disappointing Season This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 7, 2025, where it first appeared.
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Paige Bueckers' Coach Delivers Blunt Response on Disappointing Season
Paige Bueckers' Coach Delivers Blunt Response on Disappointing Season originally appeared on Athlon Sports. Prior to the start of this WNBA season, Chris Koclanes was hired to be the head coach of the Dallas Wings. He had been an assistant coach with the Connecitcut Sun and Los Angeles Sparks, but he had never been a head coach at either the pro or college levels. Advertisement The Wings went 9-31 last year and have struggled to be more than a middle-of-the-pack team for a long time. After losing 83-77 to the Seattle Storm on Tuesday, they fell to 1-7, which is the worst record in the league. Koclanes was asked how he has been handling the adversity he has dealt with so far this season in his first head coaching gig. "Just leaning on my support system," he said. "Leaning on that GM bucket, our coaching staff and my mentors to just trust and stay the course and continue to do the work. I need to show up consistent every single day regardless of outcome for our players and continue to exude belief and confidence in them, because that's the only way this thing is going to turn." The Wings were given a big dose of hope when they won the draft lottery, which allowed them to take UConn star Paige Bueckers with the No. 1 overall pick in April's draft. Advertisement Bueckers has struggled offensively at times this season, and she has missed their last two games after being placed in concussion protocol. She had led UConn to the women's NCAA championship only about two months ago and won a slew of individual awards during her time there. Dallas Wings guard Paige Bueckers (5). Patrick Gorski-Imagn Images Clearly, becoming a very competitive team will be a long-term process for Dallas, and it sounds as if Koclanes has steeled himself to endure that process. The franchise has won just one playoff series since 2009, the last season it was known as the Detroit Shock. While based in Detroit, it had won three WNBA championships in 2003, 2006 and 2008. Advertisement Related: Paige Bueckers' Former Teammate Sends Message After Career Move This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 6, 2025, where it first appeared.
New York Times
19-05-2025
- Sport
- New York Times
What to watch in sports this week: Conference finals, Concacaf and Monaco Grand Prix
To paraphrase Ozzy Osbourne, there's no rest for the watchers. These past few days alone were a doozy — we saw vindication at Madison Square Garden, devastation in Toronto and another career-framing major moment for Scottie Scheffler. There's no time to marinate on all that, though, as another stacked national slate arrives this week. Advertisement Here is our abridged look at the national sports schedule, featuring our best writers across the site. As always, three quick questions to guide us: Does this cover every big game for the forthcoming week? Nope, just a light day-to-day survey of top-line stuff. Should you take it personally if your favorite sport is omitted? Never, but drop a comment to let us know what you're hyped for. Will you get in trouble if you miss any of these matches? That's a clown question. All ABC and ESPN broadcasts can also be streamed on ESPN+. All CBS broadcasts can also be streamed on Paramount+. Logline: Paige Bueckers, national phenomenon with league-altering potential, plays just the second game of her fledgling pro career. From Sabreena Merchant in Dallas: 'Bueckers is naturally gifted at staying in the moment and remaining composed. Coach Chris Koclanes called her 'special in how she's able to handle things with such grace.' Assistant general manager Jasmine Thomas said Bueckers looked like she had already been through 10 training camps during her first preseason. 'With all the hubbub surrounding her debut, Bueckers was at least in her element when the ball tipped, even if the Wings have some work to do to figure out how to maximize her skills. Bueckers brought the ball up more often than she did at UConn, forced into a true point guard role because of veteran Ty Harris' minutes limit. Bueckers' first attempt to create for her teammates led to an easy look at the rim for NaLyssa Smith out of the pick-and-roll, but Smith smoked the finish. Several more potential assists left Bueckers' stat line emptier than expected.' Logline: Long-anguishing Minnesota goes for its first-ever NBA Finals appearance; top seed Oklahoma City hosts the series opener after Sunday's Game 7. From Sam Amick in OKC: 'In this age of parity and second-apron hell that has all been by (Collective Bargaining Agreement) design, you couldn't ask for a better flurry at the finish. The Knicks, having reached the East finals for the first time in a quarter century, have all of New York City going bonkers over the possibility of a title that would be their first since 1973. The Pacers, whose turnaround from a 10-15 start to this beautiful basketball has been piloted by renaissance man Rick Carlisle, look capable of winning the franchise's first NBA championship. Advertisement 'The Minnesota Timberwolves, who so many believed were mortgaging their future (for financial purposes) when they made the decision to swap Karl-Anthony Towns for Julius Randle and Donte DiVincenzo last summer, have not only returned to the West finals for a second consecutive time but are on an absolute roll in these past 11 weeks (they're 25-5 since March 2, including playoffs). And then there's the Thunder, who wreaked havoc on the regular season only to come so dangerously close to joining the other ill-fated elites when the second round rolled around.' Logline: It's Jalen Brunson vs. Tyrese Haliburton in a contentious Conference finals, as Spike Lee and Reggie Miller rejoice. From Fred Katz in NYC: 'From the win on Monday to tipoff Wednesday, the Knicks lacked the necessary intensity. And it showed that night, when the Celtics sliced their series deficit to 3-2. So on Thursday, the Knicks talked it out. They discussed the communication issues that plagued them, why guys weren't picking up the right Celtics in transition, and why the defensive execution, which had been clean for much of their second-round series, turned into a mess for one night at TD Garden. 'The gist of the discourse? Get it together and compete. 'One day later, the Knicks competed in a way they hadn't this season, this decade, or maybe even this century.' Logline: Game 2 pits the defending Stanley Cup champs against a Canes crew with just two total losses in their first two rounds. From senior writer Chris Johnston: 'For any NHL franchise that finds itself down and out, the Panthers are the new gold standard for how swiftly fortunes can be turned around. Consider that when head coach Paul Maurice was hired on June 22, 2022, the Panthers had four series victories to show for their entire 28-year existence. Advertisement 'Since then? They've won nine of their last 10 series heading into the Eastern Conference Final against the Carolina Hurricanes. Maurice took over a team known for run-and-gun hockey that won the Presidents' Trophy and turned it into the suffocating, forechecking beast it is today. The Panthers have played 303 games over the last three seasons and still they battle on.' Logline: For a second consecutive year, we get the budding rivalry between Edmonton and Dallas in the Western Conference final. From Mark Lazerus at Dallas' series-clincher: 'The Stars have gotten this far without Matt Duchene producing. They won't get much farther. The Oilers rarely have trouble scoring, and the Stars will have to keep up. But Mikko Rantanen, who has carried this offense with a league-high 19 playoff points, has noticed something special about this Dallas dressing room since coming over from the Colorado Avalanche and the Carolina Hurricanes. They're always in a good mood, always feeling calm, always projecting confidence. No matter what.' Logline: The inaugural women's continental tournament comes down to two Mexican clubs (Tigres and América) and two NWSL members (Gotham FC and Portland Thorns). From NWSL reporter Asli Pelit: 'Bella Bixby entered Snapdragon Stadium Saturday night the same way she has entered every stadium for weeks — not just as Thorns' starting goalkeeper but also mom to toddler Ruby, who was perched happily between her right arm and hip. 'For the 29-year-old, the 2025 NWSL season has been more than just returning to the field after the offseason. It has been a balancing act between being an elite athlete and a new mother — a transformation she does not sugarcoat.' Weekend watch alternate: New York Liberty at Indiana Fever (WNBA, 1 p.m. ET on CBS). Logline: Oscar Piastri (McLaren), Lando Norris (McLaren) and Max Verstappen (Red Bull) lead the standings as F1 revs engines in Monte Carlo. From F1 reporter Luke Smith at the last GP in Imola: 'Much like his remarkable weekend performance at Suzuka last month, this win serves as a firm reminder to the F1 world of exactly why Verstappen is a four-time world champion. And, arguably, the best driver out there right now. Advertisement 'It is also an overtake that will go into the lengthy highlight reel of Verstappen passes — maybe even right to the very top. It'll be up there with his wet-weather moves on Charles Leclerc around the outside at Suzuka in 2022, or on Nico Rosberg at Interlagos (also an outside line move) in the wet in 2016.' Weekend watch alternate: Los Angeles Dodgers at New York Mets (MLB, 7 p.m. ET on ESPN). From the archives: Monday — On this date (May 19) in 1973, Secretariat won the Preakness Stakes, setting the stage for his Triple Crown triumph. The famed race horse 'looked like a mine of pure gold today instead of mere $6,080,000,' wrote The New York Times' Joe Nichols. Streaming links in this article are provided by partners of The Athletic. Restrictions may apply. The Athletic maintains full editorial independence. Partners have no control over or input into the reporting or editing process and do not review stories before publication. (Photo of Matthew Tkachuk: Carmen Mandato / Getty Images)
Yahoo
19-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Video of Paige Bueckers' Behavior Towards Newest Wings Teammate Surfaces
Following a 99-84 loss to the Minnesota Lynx in their first game of the WNBA regular season on Friday, the Dallas Wings and Paige Bueckers' welcomed their team's newest teammate to her new home on Sunday. In a video posted on X, the entire team formed a circle at the end of their practice and gave Luisa Geiselsöder a round of applause as she proudly stood at the spot Bueckers directed her towards. Advertisement 'Oh beautiful,' Geiselsöder said after the applause stopped. Following a bit of laughter, Wings head coach Chris Koclanes gave his girls praise for having a strong practice. 'Guys, I thought that was a really good day,' Koclanes said. 'I appreciate our focus all around." Geiselsöder reported to practice on Sunday for the first time since signing a contract with the Wings during training camp. She was initially selected by the Wings with the 21st pick in the 2020 WNBA draft but has yet to make her debut in Dallas. The 25-year-old had her contract temporarily suspended to allow her to finish her season with Basket Landes in the French basketball league. This season, Geiselsöder led the team to the Ligue Femininie de Basketball championship by averaging 11.8 points, 6.1 rebounds and 1.1 assists. Dallas Wings guard Paige Bueckers (5) reacts after scoringKevin Jairaj-Imagn Images Bueckers, meanwhile, put up 10 points, seven rebounds and went 3-for-10 from the field in her Wings debut against the Lynx. Advertisement Dallas hopes to have Geiselsöder play alongside Bueckers in their second game of the season against the Lynx again on Wednesday in Minnesota. Related: Wings Make Official Contract Decision on Paige Bueckers' Teammate
