SAN FRANCISCO, Calif. (July 25, 2025) – The Dallas Wings couldn’t sustain the momentum from their midweek rout in Seattle, falling 86-76 to the Golden State Valkyries at Chase Center on Friday night. Despite a solid first-half showing, Dallas struggled in the final quarter, allowing Golden State to close on a decisive run and notch the series-tying win.

The Wings (7-18) were led by Arike Ogunbowale’s 18 points and Paige Bueckers’ 16-point, 5-assist effort. However, a lack of execution in the fourth quarter — where they were outscored 24-13 — proved costly. Monique Billings paced the Valkyries (11-12) with 17 points and 10 rebounds, while rookie sensation Aaliyah Moore added 14 points and three blocks off the bench.

Wings Start Fast, Fade Late

Dallas came out aggressive, pushing the tempo and forcing early turnovers. Ogunbowale hit a pair of threes in the opening quarter, helping the Wings build a 21-16 advantage after 10 minutes. Defensively, they limited Golden State to 33% shooting in the first period.

In the second quarter, Bueckers found her rhythm, scoring nine of her 16 in the frame while orchestrating the offense with poise. Haley Jones chipped in six points off the bench as Dallas held a 43-40 lead at the half.

But that’s where the momentum stalled.

Valkyries Flip the Script in the Second Half

The Valkyries began the third quarter with a renewed focus on defense, disrupting Dallas’ pick-and-roll action and forcing contested jumpers. Guard Lexie Hull connected on back-to-back threes, igniting a 10-2 Golden State run that gave the home team its first lead since the opening quarter.

Dallas clawed back late in the third with Ogunbowale and Bueckers combining for 10 points in the final three minutes, knotting the game at 63-all heading into the final period.

Then came the collapse.

The Wings missed seven of their first eight shots in the fourth quarter and committed four costly turnovers during a five-minute scoring drought. Golden State capitalized, with Billings hitting a mid-range jumper and Moore finishing a three-point play in transition to cap a 14-2 run.

By the time Dallas found a rhythm again — via a Luisa Geiselsöder putback and an Ogunbowale floater — the game had slipped away, and the Wings couldn’t close the double-digit gap.

Postgame Reflections

“We didn’t execute when it mattered,” said Wings head coach Chris Koclanes. “We had too many empty possessions in the fourth and lost our edge defensively. Credit to Golden State — they turned up the pressure and made us uncomfortable.”

Ogunbowale, who passed 1,480 career field goals earlier this week to become the Wings’ all-time leader, acknowledged the team’s inconsistency. “We came out strong, but we didn’t finish. We can’t keep letting games get away from us in the second half,” she said.

Bueckers echoed the sentiment. “We had the lead and let it go. That’s on all of us — especially the vets. We need to be better at closing games.”

Up Next

Dallas returns home for a brief two-game stretch at the College Park Center, starting with a critical matchup against the Indiana Fever on August 1. With just nine games left in the regular season, the Wings remain mathematically in the playoff hunt but have little room for error.

Golden State, meanwhile, looks to build momentum heading into the final stretch of the season. The Valkyries have now won four of their last six and are just one game out of a top-five seed in the Commissioner’s Cup standings.

Final Stats Leaders:

• Dallas: Ogunbowale – 18 pts, Bueckers – 16 pts, Jones – 8 pts, 6 rebs

• Golden State: Billings – 17 pts, 10 rebs; Moore – 14 pts; Hull – 12 pts (4 3PM)

Quote of the Night:
“You can’t win in this league without putting together four quarters — and tonight, we gave them one.” – Coach Koclanes