STWF Sports | ATLANTA, GA | May 22, 2026  — It was a tale of an ice-cold start, a furious second-half fightback, and a heartbreaking final act.

The Dallas Wings displayed championship-level grit to wipe out a 16-point deficit on Friday night, but a catastrophic fourth-quarter offensive drought proved to be their undoing. The Atlanta Dream closed the game on a stunning late run to secure an 86-69 victory at the Gateway Center. With the loss, Dallas slips to 3-3 on the young season, while Atlanta improves to an impressive 3-1.

The Fourth-Quarter Collapse

For a fleeting moment in the final frame, it appeared the Wings were going to pull off their second consecutive road comeback. Trailing for the entire game, Dallas ignited a quick 6-0 burst to start the fourth quarter. Capitalizing on three rapid Atlanta turnovers, the Wings captured their very first lead of the night, 64-63, with 7:35 remaining on the clock.

However, just as Dallas seemed to seize absolute control, the offensive engine completely stalled.

The Dream responded with a ruthless, game-defining 19-1 avalanche over the next six minutes. Atlanta’s defense clamped down, forcing critical turnovers and contesting every look, while their offense caught fire by knocking down 11-of-14 field goals in the period. Rhyne Howard orchestrated the late-game clinics for the Dream, finishing with a brilliant game-high 25 points and 8 assists to slam the door on the visitors.

Kuier’s Flawless, Historic Performance

Despite the disappointing final score, the Dallas bench provided a massive silver lining, utterly dominating Atlanta’s reserves by a margin of 33-11.

The undisputed headline for the Wings was the spectacular play of forward Awak Kuier. Playing with supreme confidence, Kuier netted a career-high 16 points on an unblemished 6-of-6 shooting display from the floor. Her perfect night etched her name into the franchise record books, making her just the seventh player in Wings history to shoot 100% from the field on at least six attempts. Even more impressively, she became the first player in franchise history to hit that perfect benchmark while executing multiple three-pointers (2-of-2).

Veteran guard Odyssey Sims was equally vital in keeping Dallas within striking distance. Sims injected furious defensive energy and scoring punch, chipping in 14 points on a highly efficient 5-of-6 shooting night while delivering 5 assists.

Glasswork, Passing Trends, and Milestones

In the frontcourt, Jessica Shepard battled hard against Atlanta’s size, anchoring the interior with a rugged double-double. Shepard logged 10 points and pulled down a game-high 11 rebounds, a gritty follow-up just two nights after recording a historic triple-double in Chicago.

Simultaneously, starting guard Paige Bueckers reached a significant career milestone. With a smooth bucket at the 5:42 mark of the second quarter, Bueckers officially eclipsed 800 career points. Though her scoring was quiet, her distribution remained elite; she orchestrated the floor with a team-high 7 assists. Her efforts helped Dallas finish with 21 total dimes, marking the fourth consecutive game the Wings have cleared the 20-assist plateau.

The Resilient Dallas Wings

Disparity at the Stripe

Ultimately, the Wings could not overcome a frosty start and an uncharacteristic struggle at the free-throw line. Dallas missed their first eight shots of the contest, falling into an immediate 10-0 hole and managing a meager nine points in the first quarter.

For the game, Dallas was held to a season-low .378 shooting clip from the field. Compounding the half-court stagnation was a severe lack of whistles. The Wings attempted a season-low 12 free throws, converting just six—representing the second-fewest free throws made by any WNBA team this season. Conversely, Atlanta ran a highly efficient offense, shooting .548 from the field and missing just one free throw (12-of-13).

Defensively, Azzi Fudd provided great rim protection with a career-high 3 blocks, steering the team to a season-high 8 blocks overall, but the perimeter defense simply had no answer for Atlanta’s late execution.

Next Up

The Wings will quickly pick up the pieces as they conclude their three-game road swing this weekend. Dallas heads to Brooklyn for a marquee Sunday afternoon showdown against the New York Liberty. Tip-off at Barclays Center is set for 2:30 p.m. CT, with the action broadcasting live nationally on NBC.