STWF Sports | CHICAGO, Ill. | May 20, 2026 — The Dallas Wings are beginning to look like a team finding its identity.

The Rise of the Dallas Wings

Powered by a historic night from Jessica Shepard and explosive scoring performances from Paige Bueckers and Arike Ogunbowale, the Wings rolled past the Chicago Sky 99-89 Wednesday night at Wintrust Arena for their second consecutive victory.

Dallas improved to 3-2 on the season while picking up its first road win over Chicago since 2022.

The night belonged to Shepard.

The veteran forward delivered the third triple-double in franchise history, finishing with 18 points, 10 rebounds and a career-high 12 assists while shooting an efficient 6-of-7 from the field.

It marked the second triple-double of Shepard’s career and the first recorded anywhere in the WNBA this season.

Her performance helped fuel one of Dallas’ most complete offensive efforts of the year.

The Wings shot 50 percent from the floor and knocked down 9-of-21 three-pointers while showcasing improved ball movement and offensive rhythm throughout the night.

Bueckers once again looked fully in command offensively.

The reigning WNBA Rookie of the Year tied for the game high with 24 points while adding several key baskets during critical stretches of the second half. Bueckers attacked confidently from all areas of the floor, finishing 11-of-19 from the field while continuing to establish herself as one of the league’s most polished young guards.

Ogunbowale added a season-high 23 points, including four made three-pointers and two clutch daggers late in the fourth quarter that silenced the Chicago crowd and officially put the game away.

The veteran guard also reached another career milestone early in the contest.

Her first assist of the game made her the fastest player in WNBA history to record 4,500 points, 900 assists and 300 steals, accomplishing the feat in just 229 games.

Rookie Azzi Fudd continued her strong recent stretch off the bench as well.

Fudd matched her career high with 12 points while shooting 4-of-6 from the field and 2-of-2 from three-point range. Her confidence offensively continues growing with each game, and her shot-making provided another major spark for Dallas throughout the second half.

The game, however, did not begin smoothly for the Wings.

Chicago controlled much of the opening quarter behind dominant interior play from Kamilla Cardoso and aggressive defensive pressure. The Sky used a 10-0 run late in the first period to build an early double-digit advantage as Dallas struggled offensively.

Cardoso was nearly unstoppable during the opening half.

The Chicago center scored 12 first-half points on a perfect 6-for-6 shooting performance while repeatedly attacking Dallas in the paint.

Chicago carried a narrow 38-37 lead into halftime after controlling much of the second quarter.

Then Dallas completely shifted the momentum after the break.

The Wings exploded for 34 third-quarter points, one of the highest-scoring quarters by any WNBA team this season.

Shepard controlled the pace during the stretch, recording eight points in the quarter while orchestrating the offense from the high post. Bueckers, Ogunbowale and Fudd all connected on key perimeter shots as Dallas began stretching the floor and attacking mismatches.

Li Yueru also played an important role off the bench.

The veteran center knocked down her first three-pointer of the season and provided valuable size defensively against Cardoso during key stretches of the second half.

Dallas shot nearly 69 percent from the floor in the third quarter and entered the fourth with a 71-64 advantage.

Chicago made one final push late in the fourth quarter, trimming the deficit to just three points with under three minutes remaining.

But Ogunbowale immediately answered.

The All-Star guard drilled back-to-back three-pointers during a critical stretch, restoring control for Dallas and effectively ending the Sky comeback attempt.

The Wings closed the game on a dominant offensive run while continuing to show signs of chemistry and balance developing throughout the roster.

Dallas finished with advantages in rebounding, second-chance points and bench scoring while once again displaying improved defensive energy during the second half.

Cardoso finished with 24 points and 11 rebounds to lead Chicago, while the Sky fell to 3-2 on the season.

For Dallas, though, Wednesday night represented something bigger than just another win.

The Wings looked connected.

The offense flowed naturally, multiple players contributed, and the young core continued gaining confidence together.

Now Dallas will look to carry that momentum into Friday’s road matchup against the Atlanta Dream as the Wings continue building toward what suddenly looks like a very promising season. Which has been a long time in the making for the franchise.