The Dallas Wings (8-4) returned to the win column on Thursday with a 85-70 win over the Phoenix Mercury (4-10) at College Park Center.
Paige Bueckers carried the scoring as she helped Dallas rebound from the 100-76 loss to the Minnesota Lynx on Tuesday night that snapped the team’s four-game winning streak.
After Bueckers scored the first points of the game, the Wings built an 11-4 lead to start the first quarter. The Wings were forcing the Mercury to turn the ball over early on. Following a Phoenix
timeout, the Mercury scored on the next two possessions. Bueckers hit a 3-pointer and Awak Kuier blocked a shot to make the score 24-20 at the end of the first quarter.
Dallas maintained the second-quarter lead behind Bueckers’ hot shooting hand. She scored 13 points in the quarter while the Wings limited the Mercury to 23.5% shooting from the field and 29% shooting from beyond the arc.
The Wings flew away in the third quarter as Fudd and Jessica Shepard got into the act with Bueckers. Dallas shot 58% from the field and 25% from beyond the arc as Shepard scored eight points in the quarter.
The Wings held on in the fourth quarter as head coach Jose Fernandez gave the starters some rest in the last five minutes of the game.
Paige Bueckers or Supergirl
Before the game in a broadcast interview, Bueckers said the team just wants to win. She was a huge part of that as she put her cape on to bring Dallas its eighth win of the season.
She started the game hot, hitting a jumper to gain a 2-0 lead. She hit the 3-pointer with 35 seconds left in the first quarter, which brought the score to 24-20.
Despite different challenges in the second quarter, Bueckers continued her scoring. Her first challenge was some foul trouble as she picked up her second foul after attempting to take a charge. She exited the game with 6:31 remaining in the second quarter. She reentered the game with 3:58 remaining in the second quarter and immediately gave Dallas a 36-28 advantage with a cutting layup.
A few minutes later, Bueckers hobbled straight to the locker room after she turned her ankle while battling for a defensive rebound. She appeared back at the scorers’ table after missing just about 30 seconds of game time, then scored on the next two Wings’ possessions.
Bueckers hit a jumper to start the third quarter. She showed glimpses of mere humanity by missing her first 3-point attempt of the third quarter, but she showed no signs of the ankle bothering her on the court.
“She had a special night,” Fernandez said. “There’s a comfort level to her. When she gets going, it’s easy to put her in spots — at the elbow, on the nail, post her up — that’s why she’s one of the best in the world.”
Bueckers found Fudd on a cutting layup to bring the score to 57-42. Then, she hit another 3-pointer to bring the score to 60-42. After a short rest on the bench, Bueckers reentered the game and hit a spin-around jumper to pass the 30 point mark.
Bueckers finished the game with 31 points on 14-of-19 shooting from the field and 3-of-4 shooting from the 3-point line.
Dallas Defense returns home
The Phoenix Mercury entered the game with five players averaging double figures, but only two players finished the game in double figures against the Wings. Defense was a point of emphasis for Dallas after giving up 100 points to Minnesota three nights earlier.
Lexi Held led the Mercury with 17 points on 6-of-10 shooting from the field and 3-of-5 from the 3-point line. Kahleah Copper finished with 13 points on 3-of-10 shooting from the field and 2-of-5 from 3-point range.
Phoenix finished the game shooting 39% from the field and 34% from beyond the arc. While Dallas limited the scorers on the Mercury, the Wings also forced Phoenix to turn the ball over 16 times.
Azzi Fudd
Although Azzi Fudd did not play well against the Minnesota Lynx on Monday, Fudd bounced back against the Mercury.
She finished the game with 17 points on 7-of-13 shooting from the field, though she hit just 1-of-5 from 3-point territory.Fudd continued to bring the ball up the court and initiate the offense. She recorded three assists along with six points and a steal in the first quarter.
While she helped Bueckers shoulder the burden on the offensive end, Fudd continued to wreak havoc on the defensive side of the ball. She blocked three shots and recorded a steal to go along with her 17 points and four assists in the win.
“Hands. Defelections,” Fernandez said. “I think she has a really great gift that — you know, some guys, they can pressure and keep the ball in front of them. She can anticipate where the ball handler’s going and generate jump balls and get her hands on it. Credit to her.”
