STWF Sports | ARLINGTON, Texas | August 25, 2026 — The Dallas Wings officially punched their ticket back to the WNBA Playoffs on Tuesday night, defeating the Portland Fire 96-78 in front of a sold-out crowd at College Park Center.
The Rise of the Dallas Wings in the WNBA
The victory improved Dallas to 23-16 and established a new franchise record for regular-season wins, surpassing the previous mark of 22. More importantly, the Wings secured their first postseason berth since 2023 and claimed the season series over Portland, 2-1.
Portland dropped to 15-23 and was eliminated from playoff contention.
Dallas controlled the game with balance, efficiency and defense, placing all five starters in double figures while shooting 55.1% from the field.
Paige Bueckers led the way with 22 points and a game-high 11 assists, recording her third points-assists double-double of the season. She also contributed four rebounds, two steals and a block in 33 minutes.
Bueckers’ latest 20-point performance was her 23rd of the season, moving her into second place in franchise history for most 20-plus-point games in a single season.
Jessica Shepard nearly joined her with a double-double, finishing with 21 points, nine rebounds, six assists and two steals. The performance marked Shepard’s 30th double-digit scoring game of the year, a major jump from the 13 she recorded last season.
Shepard also continued to showcase her versatility, registering her league-leading fifth game this year with at least 20 points, nine rebounds and five assists.
Awak Kuier provided one of the most complete performances of the night. She finished with 12 points, a team-high 12 rebounds, three steals and five blocks.
Kuier’s five rejections pushed her season total to 54, tying Liz Cambage for the most blocks in a single season in Wings history. She also joined A’ja Wilson as one of only two players this year to record at least 12 points, 12 rebounds and eight combined steals and blocks while shooting 50% or better.
Arike Ogunbowale added 17 points, four assists and two steals on 7-of-14 shooting, while Alanna Smith completed the starting-unit scoring balance with 10 points and five rebounds.
Dallas asserted itself immediately.
The Wings raced to a 12-3 lead in the opening quarter behind an aggressive start from Ogunbowale, then closed the period ahead 27-18. Kuier set the tone defensively with three first-quarter blocks while also scoring eight points and collecting five rebounds.
The margin continued to grow in the second quarter as Dallas shot 62.5% from the field and held Portland to 1-of-10 shooting from three-point range. Shepard reached 14 points by halftime, while Bueckers had already collected eight assists.
Dallas put the game away in the third.
A 9-2 run pushed the lead to 59-41 before Bueckers connected from deep and Smith completed an and-one to stretch the advantage beyond 20. The Wings carried a 71-52 lead into the final quarter and never allowed Portland back into striking distance.
The Fire won the fourth quarter 26-25, but the result was never seriously threatened.
Dallas finished with advantages in points in the paint, 46-34, fast-break scoring, 15-7, and points off turnovers, 23-14. The Wings also recorded a season-high 11 steals.
Portland was led by Bridget Carleton and Katie Lou Samuelson with 14 points apiece, while Emily Engstler pulled down 15 rebounds and Carla Leite handed out seven assists.
With the postseason now secured and a franchise wins record in hand, Dallas turns its attention to one final game before the 2026 FIBA World Cup break.
The Wings will host the Connecticut Sun on Sunday at 7:30 p.m. CT at College Park Center, with the game airing locally on WFAA.
