Dallas rookie standout Paige Bueckers returned from a four-game absence on Wednesday and put up a career-high 35 points in the Wings’ 93-80 road loss to the Phoenix Mercury.

Bueckers missed three games due to a concussion and another because of an illness.

She came back to make 13 of 19 shots from the floor, including 5 of 7 from 3-point range, while adding six rebounds and four assists. Her 22 first-half points topped her previous high for a game, 21.

Bueckers was the No. 1 overall pick in the 2025 WNBA Draft after being a college star at UConn, where she was a three-time first-team All-American and also won one national championship (2025) and one national player of the year honor (2021). She was averaging 14.7 points, 6.7 assists and 4.5 rebounds in six games for Dallas before getting hurt.

Before Wednesday, Bueckers last played on May 29 when the Wings lost 97-92 to the Chicago Sky. She had 15 points, eight assists, five rebounds, three steals and three blocked shots.

Dallas has a 1-10 record, which ranks last in the 13-team league.

–Field Level Media