The Dallas Wings (26-16) defeated the Phoenix Mercury (15-27) 87-82 in an early Saturday matchup at home. The matchup follows the Wings’ Thursday night win over the Sparks after returning from the FIBA World Cup break. The final game at College Park Center for the Dallas Wings before their move to the American Airlines Center results in a win to cap off their historic season.
Paige Bueckers led the charge for Dallas with 26 points and 4! stocks. Alyssa Thomas contributed 19 points, 10 rebounds, and 10 assists
for Phoenix. Both teams played this matchup shorthanded, with Alanna Smith (lower leg) and Azzi Fudd (knee) out for the Wings, while the Mercury were without the services of Kahleah Copper (groin) and Kelsey Plum (lower leg).
Today’s win moved the Wings into the sixth seed, 1.5 games behind the Fever and half a game ahead of the Liberty.
Dallas got off to a slow start in the first quarter, with buckets outside of Paige Bueckers difficult to find. The Wings struggled early to combat Alyssa Thomas’ strength and offensive skills. The Wings came into this early matchup looking unmotivated and uninspired, allowing Phoenix to finish the first quarter with an early 24-19 advantage. The Wings started the second quarter with the same lack of motivation, poor defense, and an inability to go on a run to cut the Mercury lead before the starters had to be put back into the game. Dallas was finally able to gain ground on the Mercury behind contributions from Bueckers, Arike Ogunbowale, and Awak Kuier that flipped the momentum in Dallas’ direction. Ogunbowale was a major factor in Dallas taking charge in this period, as the Mercury allowed her to get to the cup and hit a shot from behind the arc for 10 second-quarter points. Dallas was able to cap off its second-quarter run off a forced turnover by Kuier and a last-second circus three-pointer from Bueckers that sent her to the line. They were able to gain control of the game behind a 37-point quarter, the most in a single quarter for the Wings this season. The Wings entered the intermission with a 56-49 lead.
Dallas came into the third period lacking initiative, allowing the Mercury to close the gap on the lead they had built in the second quarter. After scoring a season-high 37 points, the Wings responded in the second half with 12 points. A leading contribution in the third-quarter slowdown was a quiet quarter from Bueckers, who missed all three of her shot attempts in this period. The Wings finished this quarter up 68-64 behind the cushion they created in their second quarter. Dallas continued to let the Mercury close the gap to as little as one behind Natasha Mack and Lexi Held before Bueckers hit a three to give the Wings an inch of breathing room. Aziaha James was able to jump the passing lane to secure a steal to put this one to rest, and Bueckers sealed the game off with a free throw. After nearly inducing a heart attack, the Wings finally put this one away, 87-82.
Here are three things to note from today’s win.
Awak Kuier’s continued impact
Awak Kuier’s growth through the season has allowed her to be a major contributor in Dallas. Her size and length, combined with her ability to move all over the floor, have made her one of the league’s most underrated defenders. She finished with 11 points, 5 rebounds, and 2 stocks. Her skills allow her to impact the game in ways that don’t always show on the box score, like her ability to force turnovers. Her defensive abilities have been critical to the Wings’ game plan. The coaching staff slowly instilling trust in Kuier throughout the season has built her into the confident player that she has become, who will earn herself a nice paycheck in the offseason.
The Wings need Alanna Smith
Dallas struggled to defend the Mercury early, lacking the physically imposing Alanna Smith. Smith currently has no timetable for her return, and Maddy Siegrist has slid into the starting role in her absence. Dallas’ lack of defense beyond Kuier highlights how important Smith is to the Wings when she is healthy. The Wings will run into issues quickly in the playoffs with Siegrist’s lack of defense and inconsistent shooting if she continues to be in the starting group. Alysha Clark provided strong defense off the bench, but was unable to provide any offense. The Wings need a healthy return from Smith soon, as the former Co-DPOY was able to carve out a significant role before her injury.
1500+ career points for Paige Bueckers
Paige Bueckers surpassed 1500 career points today, finishing with 26 points in this matchup. Bueckers has cemented herself as one of the league’s top players, deserving All-WNBA consideration in just her second season. She has followed up her Rookie of the Year campaign with highly efficient numbers as the engine of the Wings’ historic season. Bueckers continues to play well in her post-gold medal run and was able to hoist the Wings over her shoulder in the first half with 20 points. Bueckers is an entertainer and will be a must-watch in her first playoff appearance for the Wings. She has had a stellar start to what will be a fascinating career.
Up next
The Wings are back in action on Monday, when they will hit the road to run it back with the Mercury. Catch the Monday night action at 9 p.m. CT on USA Network and KFAA-TV.
