The Dallas Wings (14-8) are headed to the Bell Centre in Montreal to face the Toronto Tempo (9-12) Friday night, capping off their four-game road trip that has featured three straight wins. Coming off a hot win Tuesday night against the New York Liberty that featured a triple-double from Jessica Shepard, Dallas will have a lot to build on as the All-Star break approaches at the end of July.
This will be the second matchup between the two teams on this road trip, as Dallas took care of business last
Sunday with Paige Bueckers leading the charge. The marquee matchup marks both teams’ first visits to Montreal as part of the Tempo’s Cross Canada tour to commemorate their inaugural season as a franchise.
Here are three things to note for the Wings as they look to cap off their road trip by extending their win streak to four in a row, which would match their season-high win streak.
Keep Marina Mabrey at bay
Former Dallas Wing Marina Mabrey has had an electric season, averaging 20.6 points per game for the Tempo. She is one of the W’s top scorers, cementing her name in history on June 25 by scoring 53 points against the Sparks, tying the all-time single-game record. Dallas will have their hands full with Mabrey as she looks to bounce back from her 2-for-9 performance from the field in Toronto’s Wednesday night loss to the Valkyries.
Mabrey is an entertainer, an elite three-level scorer, and she will be ready to leave her mark on the city of Montreal. Dallas needs to continue the defensive aggression that led to their win last Sunday. The Wings made it their objective to get the ball out of Mabrey’s hands, and the pressure they applied to her led to an inefficient 7-for-18 from the field in the Wings’ Sunday win. If they continue to put pressure on Mabrey, the Tempo have limited offensive outlets outside of Isabelle Harrison.
Let Jessica Shepard cook
Shepard is having an All-WNBA season and was the engine behind the Wings’ massive win over the Liberty on Tuesday. It was her third triple-double of the season, and she was the pulse for the Wings’ offense in this matchup. Her passing abilities and strength on the glass have made her an unstoppable force for Dallas.
In her last matchup against Toronto, she posted 15 rebounds and will look to continue that pattern on the glass against a poor rebounding team in the Tempo.
An opportunity for a bounce-back game from the guards
Paige Bueckers, Azzi Fudd, and Arike Ogunbowale all struggled throughout most of the win against the Liberty. Another opportunity against a poor defensive team in the Tempo gives this group another chance to bounce back from their combined 1-for-13 performance from behind the arc.
Like Mabrey, Bueckers is also an entertainer in herself. She will be ready to put on a show on her first trip to Montreal. She took control of the game late in the Wings’ previous matchup against the Tempo, closing the door on any last breath the Tempo had. She will look to continue that streak against a team that can’t guard her.
Tune in to ION at 6:30 PM CDT as the Wings look to extend their streak to four straight.
