The Dallas Wings (25-16) defeated the Los Angeles Sparks (15-26), 97-77, in a Thursday night matchup at College Park Center. The matchup marked the Wings’ return to action, with the WNBA season resuming after Team USA won gold in the FIFA World Cup. In addition, this matchup will be the final matchup with the Wings of Nneka Ogwumike’s Hall of Fame career.
Alanna Smith has had an unfortunate season full of heartbreaking injuries. Once it felt like she had found her groove for Dallas, she suddenly sustained
another leg injury while with Team Australia and has no timetable for a return.
The shorthanded Wings could not break away from the Sparks in the first half. Paige Bueckers kept the Wings afloat through the first quarter, providing 10 early points for Dallas following her gold medal win on Sunday. The Wings entered halftime with a 44-44 stalemate against a team that has had a season to forget. Aziah James contributed early with 10 points for Dallas, leading the way with Bueckers.
The Wings came out of the intermission punching, gaining momentum in the game once Maddy Siegrist, who started in Smith’s absence, joined the party with a couple of threes. Los Angeles was unable to make any quick adjustments to stop the bleeding once Jessica Shepard finally added points to the board. Odyssey Sims went down in the third quarter after a rough landing off a layup, adding to the list of injuries for the Wings. Dallas entered the final quarter up, 69-58. The fourth quarter continued to go Dallas’ way as they blew the doors open against a less-skilled team with lottery aspirations. New Wing Kitija Laksa got to make late contributions in her debut game for Dallas, and Jessica Shepard finally saw her shots fall. Dallas ultimately sent Los Angeles home with a 97-77 win.
Here are three takeaways from tonight’s home win.
Jessica Shepard keeps making her case
Jessica Shepard recorded her fifth triple-double tonight, the most in the WNBA. She continues to position herself as a leading candidate for Most Improved Player. Her playmaking abilities make her one of the league’s top passing bigs, and she has provided stability to Dallas’ offense. Her offensive gifts have been a significant factor in the Wings’ success this season. She struggled to score in the first half but looked to set up her teammates, keeping the Wings’ heads above water in the first half. Dallas will need a strong finish from her as they push to close the season, and tonight’s return to action is a nice start in that direction.
Paige Bueckers off the FIBA run
Paige Bueckers was the leading factor in Dallas staying in the game through the first half. She finished with 19 points and six assists, still feeling hot from her run with Team USA. She came into the game swinging, leading the charge for the Wings as their supporting cast struggled to hit shots early. Her ability to put her team on her back when they get off to slow starts proves her abilities as a leader. Though she was quiet in the second half, the Wings didn’t need a masterclass from Bueckers to win, and that is the biggest win for Dallas as they deal with injury struggles.
Continue the strong finish and hope seeding goes your way
With three games remaining, seeding can ultimately make or break your first-round matchup in the playoffs. Tonight’s win puts Dallas in sole possession of the seventh seed behind the Washington Mystics, with the New York Liberty falling to eighth. The Wings can give themselves slight breathing room in front of the Liberty after tonight; however, a lot has to go wrong for the 4-6 seeds for Dallas to rise any further in the standings. Crazier things have happened, but the Liberty and Indiana Fever do have a couple of difficult matchups remaining, as both teams have to see the Minnesota Lynx to close the season. Matchups against the Lynx and Valkyries would be uphill battles for the Wings to face in the playoffs if they are unable to climb the standings further.
Up next
The Wings are in action again on Saturday as they host the Mercury for a noon CT tipoff. Tune in on CBS or Paramount+.
