‘Just wanted to respond’: Dallas Wings bounce back in big way from blowout
The Dallas Wings took down the Phoenix Mercury 85-70 in the Commissioner’s Cup on Thursday night to bounce back from their 100-76 loss to the Minnesota Lynx on Tuesday.
“As a team we just wanted to respond,” guard Paige Bueckers said. “And it starts with our aggression on both ends of the floor, and I thought we had a really good first quarter in terms of what we wanted to execute coming out of our game a few nights ago.”
The Wings (8-4) remain in third in the Western Conference standings for the cup, the WNBA’s in-season competition, and in fifth in the league’s season standings.
The Wings controlled the game through all four quarters and did not trail at any point. The Wings had three players in double digits for scoring, with Bueckers leading the way with 31. Guard Azzi Fudd contributed 17 points, and forward Jessica Shepard added 17 points and 10 rebounds.
Here are three takeaways from the Wings’ win:
Guard Paige Bueckers sets season high for points
Bueckers scored a season-high 31 points against the Mercury, shooting 14-for-20 from the field and 3-for-5 on 3-pointers. Bueckers also set her season-high for points in a half with 24 in the first half.
Bueckers left the game for a brief moment in the second quarter where she limped off the court and straight to the tunnel after tweaking her ankle trying to grab a rebound. It didn’t take long for her to run back out and be met with a roar from Wings fans that she was back. Bueckers seemed fine as she went straight to the scorers’ table to sub back in.
“It kind of just rolled, kind of gave out a little bit on a rebound,” Bueckers said. “Once it rolls, it rolls right back. So just had to go in the back, get taped and then adrenaline is the best drug, so didn’t really feel it during the game. Just wanted to power through to help the team get a win.”
Fudd set a career high with four assists, as this year’s No. 1 overall draft pick continues to add to the offense.
“I definitely feel myself getting more comfortable, just learning my teammates, learning what they like. I can feel that chemistry is growing stronger offensively and defensively on the court, off the court,” Fudd said.
Wings winning the rebounding battle equals a win
The Wings have won the rebounding battle in all their wins this season except for their season opener against the Indiana Fever when they were minus-one in rebounding. The Wings were plus-7 over the Mercury in rebounding on Thursday (37-30).
In all four of the Wings’ losses, they have been outrebounded by their opponent, by five, nine and 10 twice. When the Wings can own the boards, they are in the win column.
Shepard has proven to be a dominant force on the glass, averaging 11.2 rebounds on the season.
Wings are undefeated against teams not named the Dream or Lynx
The Wings are undefeated on the year against every team besides the Atlanta Dream and Minnesota Lynx. Dallas has played both teams twice, losing both home and away.
In all the games against the Dream and the Lynx, the Wings have been outrebounded and have shot under 30% from 3. The Wings shoot right at 35% on average.
The Wings will face both teams one more time this season, playing the Dream on July 29 at home and the Lynx on Aug. 9 in Minnesota.
The Wings will travel to Portland for their next game where they will face the Fire at 7:30 p.m Saturday for their next game in the Commissioner’s Cup.
This story was originally published June 11, 2026 at 10:10 PM.
