STWF Sports| SAN FRANCISCO, Calif.| October 2, 2026 — The Dallas Wings saw their 2026 season come to an end Friday night at Chase Center, falling 77-73 to the Golden State Valkyries in a decisive Game 3 of their WNBA First Round playoff series.
Dallas built a 16-point lead in the third quarter, but Golden State closed the game on a 40-20 run to complete the comeback and secure the franchise’s first trip to the WNBA Semifinals.
The Wings finish the series 1-2 after forcing the deciding game with a dramatic overtime victory in Game 2.
Arike Ogunbowale followed her record-setting 45-point performance with another strong outing, scoring a game-high 30 points on 11-of-21 shooting. She added five rebounds, two assists and one steal while becoming just the second player in WNBA postseason history to score at least 75 points over a two-game span.
Paige Bueckers added 17 points, six assists, two steals and two blocks, while Jessica Shepard recorded the first postseason double-double of her career with 12 points and 12 rebounds.
Dallas shot 44.1 percent from the field, 31.2 percent from three-point range and 84.2 percent from the free-throw line. Golden State shot just 35.1 percent overall but found enough offense late to erase the Wings’ second-half advantage.
Dallas Controls the First Half
The Wings opened the game with purpose.
Ogunbowale scored six points in the first quarter as Dallas took a 19-14 lead after 10 minutes. Shepard also set the tone on the glass, grabbing six rebounds in the opening period.
Golden State briefly grabbed momentum in the second quarter, taking a 37-33 lead, but Dallas responded with an 11-0 run to close the half.
Ogunbowale scored 17 first-half points, while Bueckers added 10 and five assists as the Wings carried a 44-37 lead into the locker room.
Dallas shot 51.5 percent in the first half while holding Golden State to 37.1 percent.
Wings Build Their Largest Lead
Dallas Wings Show Heart in Playoffs
Dallas came out of halftime with even more energy.
The Wings opened the third quarter on a 9-0 run, extending the lead to 53-37 with 5:55 remaining.
Golden State had gone scoreless from late in the second quarter until Veronica Burton ended the drought with a three-pointer.
That shot helped change the momentum.
The Valkyries closed the third on a 12-4 run, cutting Dallas’ advantage to 59-54 entering the fourth.
Golden State Completes the Comeback
The momentum fully shifted in the final period.
Golden State scored five straight points early in the fourth and eventually regained the lead, 67-65, on a Burton layup with 4:50 remaining.
Ogunbowale answered with a personal 7-0 run, putting Dallas back ahead 72-67 with 3:10 left.
But Golden State had one final response.
The Valkyries scored six unanswered points, with Gabby Williams helping push Golden State back in front 73-72 with 1:17 remaining.
Dallas was unable to regain the lead.
Williams later converted free throws to extend the margin, and Golden State closed out the 77-73 victory.
Williams led the Valkyries with 19 points, including 17 after halftime. She also added four rebounds, two assists and two steals.
A Historic Season Ends
Despite the loss, Dallas closes the year after one of the most successful regular seasons in franchise history.
The Wings established team records for wins, winning percentage, points per game, assists per game, assist-to-turnover ratio, field-goal percentage and three-pointers made.
Dallas also recorded a 17-win improvement from 2025, setting a WNBA record for the largest single-season turnaround, while head coach Jose Fernandez established the league mark for the best turnaround by a first-year head coach.
The season ultimately ended one win short of the semifinals, but the Wings leave 2026 with a significantly different foundation than the one they entered the year with.
For Dallas, the postseason run is over.
The progress made throughout the season, however, gives the organization plenty to build on moving forward.
