Of the two WNBA teams eliminated on Wednesday, one appears to have a much brighter future

Despite Paige Bueckers scoring a historic 44 points in Wednesday night’s Dallas Wings game, the team still lost on a buzzer-beater against the LA Sparks. As a result, both the Wings and the Chicago Sky were mathematically eliminated from the WNBA Playoffs. Bueckers scored 44 of the Wings’ 80 total points, shot 17-21 from the field, and became only the third rookie to ever score 40+ points, and the first player in WNBA history to score 40+ on 80% shooting.

Still, in a game that came down to the wire, a late-game make by Kelsey Plum secured the Sparks a one-point victory, 81-80, over Dallas. The Wings and Sky are the second and third teams to be mathematically eliminated from the playoffs, after the 7-27 Connecticut Sun were eliminated last week. This was expected to happen soon for both Dallas and Chicago, as both teams had rocky starts to the season, racking up losses from the jump. Neither team found a flow in their offense this season, and multiple long-term and season-ending injuries caused them to be depleted. Yet, the Wings still seem to be in a slightly better position than the Sky when looking towards the future.

The obvious first reason is having Bueckers locked in. She has been crushing rookie records this season, winning Rookie of the Month for June and July, and this 44-point game probably locked her in for August as well. Her basketball IQ is off the charts, she is already potentially the best mid-range shooter in the league, and her skill is phenomenal for her level of experience and age. The Wings just need to focus on building around her, which will be simple when you think about them getting a high first-round pick in the 2026 draft, the other draft assets they have picked up in trades this season, and the free agency appeal of coming to play with Bueckers. They’ll be okay.

The Sky, on the other hand, have been dealt a rough hand. Not only will they not make the playoffs this season, but they do not even own their first-round pick for 2026. That comes after they traded away their No. 3 draft pick in 2025, a pick that ended up becoming Sonia Citron for the Mystics. Citron is easily the favorite for Rookie of the Year runner-up, and she could likely get some votes for the award herself. Trading that away for Ariel Atkins, who is a great player, but still older and not in line with the young duo of Kamilla Cardoso and Angel Reese the Sky are building around. Citron, as the third piece to the Cardoso/Reese trio, could have been a great future Big-3.

Now, the pick Chicago receives for not making the playoffs this season will go to the Minnesota Lynx. That’s right, the No. 1 team in the league, the Championship favorites, will also receive a top-5 pick in the WNBA Draft in 2026. There’s a chance it’s the No. 1 pick as well.

So in context, the Wings’ situation is a little easier to digest when compared to Chicago’s. Would it have been nice to see Bueckers get the W along with her 44 points against the Sparks? Very much so. Is it going to be okay in the long run? Sure. The Wings have an important offseason ahead of them, and the future of this team will be made clear by their moves this winter. Where Chicago goes from here is much harder to predict.