STWF Sports| SAN FRANCISCO| September 27, 2026 — The Dallas Wings opened their 2026 postseason run with a difficult road loss Sunday night, falling 104-80 to the Golden State Valkyries in Game 1 of their best-of-three WNBA First Round series at Chase Center.
Dallas kept the game close through the opening quarter, but Golden State changed the tone with a dominant 37-11 second quarter, building a 58-31 halftime lead and taking control of the series opener.
The Wings now trail 1-0 and will return home for Game 2 on Wednesday, Sept. 30, at College Park Center.
Despite the loss, Paige Bueckers delivered an impressive postseason debut. The second-year guard finished with 21 points, six rebounds and two assists, shooting 9-of-10 from the field and 2-of-2 from three.
Her 90 percent shooting performance ranks among the most efficient postseason games in WNBA history for players with at least nine made field goals.
Bueckers was especially sharp early, scoring 11 points in the first quarter and 17 by halftime. Her first-half total established a Wings franchise record for points in one half of a postseason debut.
Golden State Takes Control in Second Quarter
Dallas led 8-4 early and stayed within one possession for much of the first quarter before Golden State carried a 21-20 advantage into the second.
From there, the game shifted quickly.
The Valkyries opened the second period with an 11-4 run and later followed with a 12-4 surge to push the margin to 16. By halftime, Golden State had outscored Dallas by 26 points in the quarter.
The 37-point second quarter set a new WNBA postseason record for points scored in that period.
While Bueckers remained efficient, the rest of the Wings struggled to find rhythm. She shot 7-of-8 in the first half, while the rest of Dallas combined to shoot just 5-of-23.
Golden State’s perimeter shooting also proved decisive. The Valkyries finished with 18 made three-pointers, the second-most in a WNBA playoff game and the most by any team since the 2022 postseason.
Dallas Wings Show Resilience After Halftime
Dallas Finds Better Rhythm After Halftime
The Wings showed more offensive balance after the break.
Dallas scored 25 points in the third quarter and shot 53.3 percent from the field in the period. Maddy Siegrist finished with 11 points, setting a new playoff career high in her first WNBA postseason start.
Arike Ogunbowale added 10 points, while Kitija Laksa scored all 11 of her points in the fourth quarter, knocking down three three-pointers.
Laksa’s performance also established a postseason career high.
The Wings won the fourth quarter 24-19, with the starters resting for much of the period. Odyssey Sims added six points in the final frame, while Li Yueru scored five.
Dallas finished the night shooting 46.7 percent overall, 30 percent from three and 90 percent from the free-throw line.
Golden State shot 48.6 percent from the field and a scorching 50 percent from beyond the arc.
Valkyries Get Balanced Scoring
Golden State had three players score at least 20 points.
Cecilia Zandalasini led the way with 22 points while shooting 4-of-5 from three. Tiffany Hayes scored 21 points in just 18 minutes off the bench, and Gabby Williams added 20 points, four assists and three rebounds.
The Valkyries also held advantages in second-chance points and fast-break production while matching Dallas’ bench depth with 40 reserve points.
Game 1 was a reminder of how quickly playoff games can swing. Dallas was competitive early, but Golden State’s second-quarter shooting barrage created a deficit that proved too large to overcome.
The Wings will now have a chance to respond at home.
Game 2 is set for Wednesday, Sept. 30 at 8 p.m. CT at College Park Center, with national coverage on ESPN.
