STWF Sports | ARLINGTON, Texas | May 14, 2026 — The Dallas Wings looked poised to secure one of their biggest wins of the young season Thursday night before the veteran poise of the Minnesota Lynx flipped the game in the closing moments.

Paige Bueckers: Rising Star in the WNBA

Despite a season-high 27-point performance from Paige Bueckers, the Wings dropped a heartbreaking 90-86 decision to Minnesota at a loud and energized College Park Center.

Dallas controlled the game for most of the night and led for more than 80 percent of the contest, but late defensive breakdowns and crucial turnovers allowed Minnesota to escape with the victory.

Bueckers delivered one of her strongest all-around performances since entering the WNBA, finishing with 27 points, eight assists and three rebounds in 31 minutes. She also recorded seven assists in the first half alone, setting a career high for assists in a single half.

The second-year guard aggressively attacked the paint throughout the game while knocking down timely perimeter shots and drawing contact against Minnesota’s physical defense.

Her biggest sequence came during the third quarter when she buried a deep three-pointer and later converted an and-one opportunity to help Dallas maintain momentum as the Lynx surged back into the contest.

Dallas came out with energy from the opening tip.

Bueckers scored or assisted on nine of the team’s first 11 points as the Wings jumped ahead early behind crisp ball movement and aggressive pace.

Meanwhile, reserve forward Maddy Siegrist provided a massive spark off the bench.

Siegrist erupted for a season-high 17 points in just 16 minutes, scoring all 17 during the first half while shooting efficiently from all areas of the floor.

The hot shooting display included a perfect 5-for-5 start in the first quarter, helping Dallas build a double-digit lead entering the second period.

Dallas led 28-18 after one quarter and extended the advantage to as many as 12 points during the second.

Veteran guard Odyssey Sims once again brought stability to the backcourt, finishing with 11 points, three assists and two steals. Sims also drilled a clutch buzzer-beating jumper at the end of the third quarter to briefly swing momentum back toward Dallas.

One of the most encouraging developments for the Wings came from rookie Azzi Fudd.

Playing in front of the home crowd for the first time, Fudd contributed a career-high eight points along with a steal and block while finishing a team-best plus-11.

After some early nerves, the rookie settled into the game and delivered one of the night’s biggest momentum plays during the third quarter. Fudd blocked a Minnesota attempt, pushed the ball coast-to-coast and finished a layup after a Bueckers steal to ignite the crowd.

But as impressive as Dallas looked offensively for stretches, Minnesota’s experience eventually became the deciding factor.

Veteran forward Natasha Howard dominated inside late, finishing with 26 points on an ultra-efficient 11-of-14 shooting performance.

Howard repeatedly punished Dallas in the paint during the fourth quarter, including back-to-back baskets in the final minute that erased the Wings’ lead.

Minnesota rookie point guard Olivia Miles also played a critical role late, attacking the lane and creating transition opportunities while finishing with six assists.

The Lynx shot a blistering 60.3 percent from the field and outscored Dallas 48-40 in the paint.

Dallas still held an 83-79 lead with just over three minutes remaining before Minnesota closed the game on an 11-3 run.

A missed Sims layup with under a minute remaining opened the door for Howard’s go-ahead basket, and the Wings never fully recovered.

Minnesota’s defensive pressure also intensified late.

Bueckers faced double teams in the final possessions, while Dallas struggled to generate clean looks during crunch time. A costly inbound turnover and several missed opportunities ultimately allowed the Lynx to seal the win at the free-throw line.

The loss drops Dallas to 1-2 on the season despite another highly competitive showing against one of the WNBA’s veteran contenders.

Still, Thursday night offered multiple encouraging signs for first-year head coach Jose Fernandez and a Wings roster continuing to develop chemistry.

Bueckers continues evolving into one of the league’s most dynamic young guards, Siegrist provided explosive scoring off the bench, and Fudd showed flashes of the talent that made her one of the most anticipated rookies entering the season.

Now, the challenge for Dallas becomes learning how to finish games against experienced opponents.

The Wings will close their three-game homestand Monday night against the Washington Mystics looking to bounce back and avoid a third consecutive loss all on their home court.