STWF Sports| ARLINGTON, Texas| August 30, 2026 — The Dallas Wings closed the first portion of their season with one of their most complete performances of the year, defeating the Connecticut Sun 97-71 on Sunday night in front of a sold-out crowd at College Park Center.
Arike Ogunbowale paced Dallas with 18 points in just 23 minutes, while Jessica Shepard added 17 points and 10 rebounds for her 22nd double-double of the season. The victory improved the Wings to 24-16 and completed a 3-0 season sweep of Connecticut, which fell to 10-30.
Dallas also extended its winning streak to four games heading into the WNBA’s break for the 2026 FIBA World Cup.
The Rise of the Dallas Wings
Ogunbowale continued her efficient stretch, shooting 6-of-12 from the field. It marked the third time in four games she has connected on at least half of her attempts and the 13th such performance this season, the most in a single season of her career.
Shepard was equally effective, finishing 4-of-6 from the floor while tying a career high with nine made free throws on 11 attempts. Paige Bueckers contributed 15 points and six assists in 25 minutes, while Maddy Siegrist provided 11 points off the bench on 5-of-7 shooting.
The Wings also received a record-setting defensive performance from Awak Kuier. With three blocks, Kuier moved into first place on Dallas’ single-season blocks list with 57. She now owns the franchise records for blocks in a game, season and career.
Dallas established control immediately, exploding for 32 points in the opening quarter. After a competitive start, the Wings used a 22-7 run to separate from the Sun and carried a 32-18 advantage into the second period.
Connecticut responded behind Aaliyah Edwards, who scored 16 points in the second quarter and finished with a game-high 26. The Sun put up 29 points in the period, but Dallas remained sharp offensively and took a 60-47 advantage into halftime.
Any hopes of a Connecticut comeback disappeared in the third quarter.
The Wings tightened defensively, limiting the Sun to 4-of-17 shooting while outscoring them 23-12. Aziaha James, returning after missing five games due to injury, knocked down a key 3-pointer as Dallas pushed its advantage past 20 points. Siegrist followed with another triple, giving the Wings an 81-57 lead and forcing a Connecticut timeout.
Dallas shot 52.4 percent overall and connected on 8-of-16 attempts from 3-point range. The Wings also dominated several key categories, winning the rebounding battle 41-29, outscoring Connecticut 44-28 in the paint and holding a 36-10 advantage in bench points.
The Sun finished at just 32.9 percent from the floor, the second-lowest field-goal percentage by a Dallas opponent this season.
With the game firmly in hand, head coach Jose Fernandez emptied the bench in the fourth quarter. Christyn Williams saw her first action with Dallas this season as the reserves helped close out the 26-point victory, the Wings’ second-largest margin of victory this year.
Dallas now turns its attention to the international break. Alanna Smith, Li Yueru, Costanza Verona and Bueckers are set to compete in the FIBA World Cup, while Fernandez will serve as a scout coach for Team USA.
The Wings return Sept. 17 against the Los Angeles Sparks with four regular-season games remaining and playoff positioning still at stake.
