STWF Sports | SAN FRANCISCO | June 17, 2026  — The Dallas Wings opened Wednesday night with control, rhythm and one of their sharpest first quarters of the season. But a difficult second quarter changed the direction of the game, and the Golden State Valkyries rode that momentum to a 91-80 win at Chase Center.

Key Highlights from the Dallas Wings Matchup

The loss dropped Dallas to 9-6, while Golden State improved to 10-5. The matchup also closed Commissioner’s Cup play for both teams, with the Wings finishing their Cup schedule with a $15,000 donation going to Young Leaders, Strong City, a student-centered organization focused on elevating youth voice and developing community-minded youth leaders.

Arike Ogunbowale led Dallas with 21 points, marking her seventh 20-point game of the season. Jessica Shepard added her WNBA-leading 10th double-double with 14 points and 10 rebounds. Paige Bueckers finished with 15 points and eight assists, while Azzi Fudd added 10 points and tied the Wings’ single-game rookie record with five steals.

Sug Sutton also provided a strong lift in just her second game with Dallas, scoring nine points on 3-of-4 shooting, including a perfect 2-of-2 from three-point range.

Despite those contributions, the Wings could not overcome the second-quarter swing. Dallas led by as many as 12 in the first quarter before Golden State outscored the Wings 27-7 in the second. That stretch gave the Valkyries control of the game and forced Dallas to play from behind the rest of the night.

The Wings shot 46.9 percent from the field and 40.9 percent from three, but Golden State matched that efficiency while doing more damage from deep. The Valkyries shot 46 percent overall and hit 12 of 25 from beyond the arc. Gabby Williams led all scorers with 25 points, giving Golden State the offensive spark it needed.

Dallas came out strong behind Shepard. The Wings started Paige Bueckers, Ogunbowale, Fudd, Awak Kuier and Shepard for the second straight game, and Kuier opened the scoring with an early basket. Shepard quickly took over, making her first five shots and scoring 10 points in the first quarter. Her perfect 5-for-5 start matched her career best for most field goals made in a quarter without a miss.

Behind Shepard’s early dominance, Dallas built a 26-17 lead after one quarter.

The second quarter belonged completely to Golden State. The Valkyries turned a 12-point deficit into a lead with a 14-0 run. Williams knocked down a three to give Golden State its first advantage, and Kayla Thornton followed with another triple to stretch the lead to five. Dallas called two timeouts during the quarter, but the Wings struggled to stop the run or find offensive rhythm.

Golden State’s 27-7 second-quarter advantage marked Dallas’ largest point differential allowed in a quarter since 2024. It was also the fewest points the Wings have scored in any quarter this season. By halftime, Golden State led 44-33.

Dallas responded well after the break. The Wings opened the third quarter on an 8-0 run, with Fudd, Kuier and Ogunbowale contributing during the push. After Golden State rebuilt its lead to 11, Dallas answered with a 13-4 run to close the quarter and trim the deficit to 64-62 entering the fourth.

Ogunbowale scored eight points in the third, and the Wings shot 55.6 percent in the quarter, including 4-of-5 from three.

But the final quarter again tilted toward Golden State. Dallas went scoreless for more than two minutes to open the period, allowing the Valkyries to extend the lead to nine. The Wings made one more push, using a 7-0 run to cut the deficit to 81-76 with 3:58 remaining. From there, Golden State answered each Dallas challenge and never allowed the Wings to get closer than five.

The rebounding battle was a major difference. Golden State outrebounded Dallas 41-25, and the Wings were held without a second-chance point for the first time since 2021. Dallas grabbed only two offensive rebounds, both by Shepard.

The Wings now return home to host the Chicago Sky on Saturday at College Park Center. Tipoff is set for 7 p.m. CT, with national coverage on CBS.