How long is Paige Bueckers out? Concussion timeline, return date for Wings star
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How long is Paige Bueckers out? Concussion timeline, return date for Wings star originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
The Wings will be without their best player when they take on the Liberty in a matchup of two of the WNBA's truest heavyweights in 2026.
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Paige Bueckers has enjoyed a standout sophomore campaign, improving her averages across the board while staking a claim for the title of league's best point guard. The UConn product has been the biggest factor in Dallas climbing near the top of the Western Conference standings, tallying 20.9 points, 6.2 assists and 4.2 rebounds for the 17-8 Wings.
However, a head injury will keep her out of Dallas' duel with 13-12 New York. Here's what you need to know.
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How long is Paige Bueckers out?
Bueckers was felled by a head injury during the Wings' game against the Sparks on Sunday, hitting her head on the floor after colliding with Nneka Ogwumike.
Bueckers was evaluated for a potential concussion post-game, with team doctors determining she had avoided the injury. Despite this, she'll sit for the Wings' game against the Liberty on Monday night due to soreness.
What happened to Paige Bueckers?
Bueckers exited Dallas' 90-82 win over Los Angeles after hitting her head on the floor. She suffered the injury while attempting to take a charge on Ogwumike with less than four minutes left in the fourth quarter.
Bueckers fell violently to the ground after taking the shot from Ogwumike, striking the back of her head on the floor. She was escorted to the locker room for evaluation, missing the rest of the game due to her injury.
Nneka Ogwumike and Paige Bueckers left the Sparks-Wings game after an inadvertent collision with each other. pic.twitter.com/faDGHCVaD4
— espnW (@espnW) July 19, 2026
Despite the scary nature of the collision, Bueckers was cleared from concussion protocol after evaluation. She's still dealing with soreness, however.
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WNBA concussion protocol
The WNBA's concussion protocol is identical to that of the NBA's. It stipulates that players diagnosed with concussions must be "regularly monitored" for 24 hours while displaying symptoms. Players are not permitted to start their return-to-participation process until 24 hours after symptoms subside.
The process of returning to the floor is a multi-pronged one. Players undergo an exertion routine that sees them increase their workload until they're deemed healthy enough to return, according to Forbes' Roberta F. Rodrigues.
Steps include work on a stationary bike, jogging, agility work and non-contact team drills. Each stage in the exertion process sees a member of a team's medical staff monitor and examine the player. Neurological examinations are performed to make sure a player is fit. If a player still shows symptoms of concussion, they're not allowed to advance to the next stage in the exertion process.