Paige Bueckers and the No. 7 seed Dallas Wings are officially out of the WNBA playoffs.
The 2026 postseason continues without the star and her teammates after they lost to the No. 2 seed Golden State Valkyries on Wednesday, Sept. 30. The Wings were defeated 77-73 at the Chase Center in San Francisco.
Dallas was facing elimination after Golden State won 104-80 in Game 1 on Sunday, Sept. 27. Cecilia Zandalasini scored a game-high 22 points. Gabby Williams had 20, and Tiffany Hayes added 21 off the bench as the Valkyries cruised to victory.
Arike Ogunbowale willed the Wings to a 108-100 overtime win over the Valkyries on Wednesday, Sept. 30, recording a career-high 45 points in 42 minutes, which sets a WNBA record for the most points scored in a playoff
game.
The Wings led by as many as 16 points on Friday but could not close out the No. 2 seed Valkyries.
With Dallas's season now complete, people may wonder: What's next for Bueckers? Here's what's on the horizon:
Paige Bueckers' WNBA offseason plans
It's unclear whether Paige Bueckers' offseason plans will include adding 15 pounds of muscle like they did last year, but she will play in Unrivaled for a second season.
Bueckers made her debut in the 3x3 league in Jan. 2026, helping lead the expansion team Breeze to a 6-8 record and the playoffs. She finished fourth in scoring (22.1 points per game) and second in assists (5.5 per game). Bueckers also played the fourth most minutes (19 per matchup).
“She's been really ahead of her time, not just on the court, but off the court, her maturity level,” Alex Bazzell, president of Unrivaled, said. “You know, Paige is a superstar, and Paige is someone that raises the level of everyone else, and I think that's what's really important.”
Paige Bueckers contract details
Paige Bueckers is on her rookie deal and is expected to play for the Wings during her third season in the WNBA. According to Her Hoops Stats, Bueckers made $500,000 in 2026 and is slated to make $550,000 in 2027.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: What's next for Paige Bueckers? WNBA playoffs over for Dallas Wings star
