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Dallas Wings’ rookie phenoms Paige Bueckers and Aziaha James show out in win over Mercury
ARLINGTON — On the same day that point guard Paige Bueckers was named WNBA Rookie of the Month for June, it was only fitting that all of the Dallas Wings rookies showed out in the 98-89 win against the Phoenix Mercury.
Only eight Wings players were available for Thursday’s game at the College Park Center. DiJonai Carrington missed her fifth game in a row with a rib injury, and Arike Ogunbowale was out with a left thumb injury.
Photos: Dallas Wings soar above injuries with win over Phoenix Mercury
“We faced a lot of adversity this whole week, and we never gave up on ourselves,” small forward Aziaha James said after the win. “We stayed together, we stayed composed and we did what we had to do tonight.”
Five of the eight available players are rookies, and four of them started.
“The rooks, we always compete in practice against the vets and know that when it’s game time we’re ready whenever our number’s called,” James said. “So tonight was definitely the rooks’ night.”
Rookies scored 72 of the team’s points Thursday.
James and Bueckers started alongside rookies JJ Quinerly and Luisa Geiselsöder. The only starter who was not a rookie was center Li Yueru, in her third season in the WNBA.
In the first half, 77% of the team’s 61 points were scored by the rookie starters.
Small forward Aziaha James led the group with 20 points at the half, more than three times her average of 6.7 points per game. She finished the game with 28 points, six rebounds and six assists. James was the 12th pick of the 2025 draft, coming to Dallas from North Carolina State.
“Obviously it was the Aziaha James game, so that was extremely fun to watch and to be a part of,” Bueckers said. “…To be fearless and to just be confident, I’m so happy for her, because she has it in her. She’s always had it in her.”
The four rookie starters each played more than 30 minutes of the game. Quinerly, who averages 9.1 minutes per game, played 35 minutes. James played 38 minutes, more than double her average of 16.9 minutes.
“I thought that was a really good 40 minutes tonight,” Koclanes said. “And again, not perfect, but loved our start. …We came out and we established right from the tip, how physical we were going to play and that we were going to set the tempo.”
Bueckers finished the game with 23 points, four rebounds and five assists. Quinerly had 17 points, five rebounds and seven assists.
“They’re just fearless, and they have tremendous belief in who’s in that locker room, regardless of who is suiting up that night,” Koclanes said of his team. “You win a game without Paige, you win a game without Arike, everyone can contribute. It’s our competitive depth, and everyone’s going to continue to buy into that.”
Find more Wings coverage from The Dallas Morning News here.
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The Dallas Cowboys entered this offseason with a clear objective: to get significantly better on defense. To accomplish that goal, they added several defenders in free agency and the draft, and they may now have more defenders than they actually need.
Since Dallas has been so bad defensively, that’s not a bad thing. It just means they will have a competitive offseason and training camp, as players duke it out for roster spots. The standouts will emerge, and enter the regular season with the team, but some guys will be sent packing.
While it’s still early in the offseason, signs are already pointing to a steep uphill battle for one defender who came to Dallas this offseason. That defender is cornerback Derion Kendrick, and his time with the team could end before ever playing a game.
Cornerback Derion Kendrick faces an uphill battle to make Dallas Cowboys roster
Kendrick only signed a one-year deal worth $1.315 million with the Cowboys, so it was clear from the start that he’d have to battle for everything. As things currently stand, the battle isn’t looking all that good for Kendrick. DaRon Bland and Cobie Durant are in line to be the two starting corners, and first-round pick Caleb Downs is penciled in as the nickel.
Behind them are Shavon Revel Jr., Devin Moore, and Reddy Steward, all guys who are higher on the priority list than Kendrick. That leaves Kendrick fighting for a third string spot, and those are usually claimed by younger players who play a big role on specials teams. Kendrick will have to prove his value early in training camp or he could be looking for a new team.
The veteran corner was drafted in the sixth round by the Los Angeles Rams in 2022, and became a contributing player for them. As a rookie, Kendrick started six of the 15 games he played in, and then started 12 in year two, while playing in all 17 games.
It seemed like Kendrick was on his way to being a late-round gem, but his career was turned upside down when he tore his ACL in July of 2024. He missed the entire 2024 season, was eventually waived by the Rams, and claimed by the Seattle Seahawks.
After 10 games in Seattle, he was waived and claimed by the Rams, going back to Los Angeles to finish the 2025 season.
That journey led him to the Cowboys this offseason, and unless Derion Kendrick has a strong training camp, the journey may continue with another team.
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The NFL and the Dallas Cowboys are mourning the loss of one of the best pass rushers of the early 2010s.
Former Cowboys defensive end Aldon Smith has passed away at the age of 36, the San Francisco 49ers organization announced Saturday. The Niners, who drafted Smith with the No. 7 overall pick in the 2011 NFL Draft, said that Smith’s death is “sudden and tragic.”
“We are devastated by the sudden and tragic passing of Aldon Smith,” the 49ers wrote in a statement. “Aldon’s undeniable talent and sheer dominance on the field were on display from the moment he joined our organization, having recorded one of the best rookie seasons the National Football League has seen. Beyond his excellence as a player, Aldon will be remembered for his infectious smile that lit up every room he walked into. Our entire organization sends its deepest condolences to the Smith family and all who knew and loved Aldon.”
Aldon Smith Spent One Season with the Dallas Cowboys
After being drafted by the 49ers, Smith took the league by storm during his first two seasons, finishing second in the Defensive Rookie of the Year race before earning Pro Bowl and All-Pro honors in his second year.
In that span, he posted a combined 33.5 sacks across 32 games with San Francisco. After four years with the 49ers, he played his only season with the then-Oakland Raiders in 2015 after the 49ers released him following a third DUI arrest.
After being suspended by the NFL for four seasons from 2016-19, Smith was granted reinstatement and signed with the Cowboys.
He was a productive player during his only year in Dallas. He started all 16 games for the Cowboys during the 2020 season while tallying 48 total tackles (31 solo), five sacks, two pass breakups, two fumble recoveries, a league-high 78 fumble return yards, and a defensive touchdown.
Smith’s 78-yard fumble recovery for a touchdown in Week 14’s win over the Cincinnati Bengals during the 2020 season is the fifth-longest in Cowboys franchise history.
The Cowboys didn’t re-sign Smith after 2020. He signed a deal with the Seattle Seahawks that offseason but was released before the 2021 campaign began.
Smith’s NFL career started off with Hall of Fame-level potential, but he dealt with multiple off-the-field issues that ultimately cut his time in the league short.
Our thoughts are with Smith’s family during this difficult time.
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