Arlington, TX (Sept. 2, 2025) — The Dallas Wings will finish the 2025 WNBA season without rookie center Luisa Geiselsöder, who has been ruled out for the remainder of the year with a shoulder injury. The team confirmed the setback Tuesday, noting that Geiselsöder sustained the injury during Dallas’ matchup against the Connecticut Sun on August 27. While she is expected to make a full recovery, her absence leaves the Wings reshuffling their frontcourt depth during the final stretch of the season.
Geiselsöder, a 6-foot-4 native of Germany, had emerged as one of Dallas’ most dependable young pieces in her debut campaign. She averaged 6.9 points and 4.8 rebounds across 28 games, while recording six contests as the team’s leading rebounder. Among rookies league-wide, she ranked fourth in rebounds and second in blocks (0.68 per game). Her balanced impact also stood out statistically, placing her among the top nine rookies in steals, blocks, field-goal percentage, and rebounding.
For a Dallas squad that has battled injuries throughout the year, Geiselsöder’s contributions helped stabilize the rotation. Her presence as a rim protector and secondary scorer gave Head Coach Chris Koclanes additional options, particularly during stretches when the team was without veteran bigs. Losing her at this stage of the campaign represents another hurdle for a roster already leaning on depth pieces and hardship contracts.
To compensate, the Wings announced the signing of rookie forward Ajae Petty to a seven-day hardship contract. The 6-foot-3 Baltimore native most recently competed at Ohio State, where she averaged 9.4 points, 7.2 rebounds, and 1.6 assists in her final collegiate season while shooting an efficient 58.8 percent from the field. Petty’s career journey also included stops at LSU and Kentucky before finishing her eligibility with the Buckeyes. In total, she amassed 975 points and 761 rebounds across her college tenure.
Though Petty was waived by the Minnesota Lynx following training camp, her physical interior presence and rebounding ability could provide Dallas with needed frontcourt insurance in Geiselsöder’s absence.
The Wings also extended guard Serena Sundell to a second seven-day hardship contract. Sundell originally signed with Dallas on August 26 and has been relied upon to provide backcourt stability while the roster remains thin. Her re-signing underscores the team’s need for guard depth as it awaits the return of another rookie contributor.
That return could come this week, as the Wings anticipate rookie guard Aziaha James rejoining the lineup. James has missed the past two contests with a right ankle injury, but team officials expect her to be available when Dallas visits the Golden State Valkyries on Thursday, followed by a trip to Los Angeles to face the Sparks on Sunday.
To make roster space, Dallas released Christyn Williams, who was signed on an extreme hardship contract last Friday. Williams stepped in when the Wings had just seven available players, one below the league’s minimum requirement to compete. Her short-term role offered the Wings crucial coverage during one of the most challenging stretches of their season.
The series of moves highlights the delicate balance Dallas has attempted to maintain in navigating injuries while competing through the season’s final month. Despite the adversity, rookies like Geiselsöder and James have provided a glimpse of the franchise’s future, while stop-gap additions such as Sundell and Petty aim to keep the team afloat.
For Geiselsöder, the injury halts a promising rookie campaign but not her long-term potential. As one of Europe’s rising talents prior to joining the WNBA, she showcased the rebounding instincts, defensive versatility, and efficiency that suggest her impact in Dallas will only grow in future seasons once fully recovered.
The Wings now face the dual challenge of replacing her production while also building momentum heading into a difficult road trip. With postseason hopes slim but development opportunities still valuable, Dallas will rely on both fresh faces and returning players to finish the year on a competitive note.
