STWF Sports | ARLINGTON, Texas | June 11, 2026 — The Dallas Wings needed a response after their four-game winning streak ended in Minnesota. On Thursday night, they delivered one in front of a sold-out crowd at College Park Center.
Dallas defeated the Phoenix Mercury 85-70 on June 11, moving to 8-4 overall and 3-1 in Commissioner’s Cup play. Phoenix dropped to 4-10 and 2-3 in Cup action. The Wings controlled the game from the opening quarter, never trailing and using efficient offense, paint production and a standout performance from Paige Bueckers to secure the win.
Bueckers led Dallas with a season-high 31 points, adding six rebounds, five assists and one steal while shooting 14-of-20 from the field in 32 minutes. It was the third 30-point game of her WNBA career and her first since scoring 44 points against the Los Angeles Sparks last season.
The night also carried historical weight. Bueckers eclipsed 900 career points, tying Elena Delle Donne for the sixth-fastest player in WNBA history to reach that milestone at 48 games. She also joined elite company by recording at least 31 points, six rebounds, five assists and 14 made field goals while shooting 70 percent or better in a regular-season game.
Paige Bueckers’ Historic Performance
Jessica Shepard continued her strong season with her seventh double-double of the year and 26th of her career. Shepard finished with 17 points, 10 rebounds, seven assists and two steals while shooting 7-of-8 from the field. Her all-around impact helped Dallas dominate inside, as the Wings posted a season-high 50 points in the paint and outscored Phoenix 50-22 in that area.
Azzi Fudd rounded out Dallas’ double-digit scorers with 17 points, three rebounds, a career-high four assists, one steal and three blocks. Her defensive activity was a major storyline throughout the night, including multiple blocks during the third quarter as Dallas stretched the game open. She became one of only two rookies this season with multiple games of three or more blocks.
Dallas shot 52.1 percent from the field, while holding Phoenix to 39.1 percent. The Wings also won the rebounding battle 37-31, improving to 6-0 this season when outrebounding their opponent. Dallas added advantages in second-chance points, 13-8, and fast-break points, 15-13.
The Wings started quickly behind Bueckers and Fudd. Dallas jumped out to an 11-4 lead, forcing Phoenix into an early timeout with 5:24 remaining in the first quarter. Bueckers scored 11 points in the opening frame, while Fudd added six points and three assists. Phoenix closed the gap late, but Bueckers hit a three-pointer with 35 seconds left to give Dallas a 24-20 lead after one.
Awak Kuier opened the second-quarter scoring in her return after missing three games with a wrist injury. Phoenix trimmed the Dallas lead to 30-28, but the Wings answered with a 6-0 run after the media timeout. Aziaha James, Fudd and Bueckers each scored during that stretch, helping Dallas carry a 45-36 lead into halftime. Bueckers had 24 points at the break on 11-of-14 shooting, tying a career best for field goals in a half.
Dallas created separation in the third quarter. The Wings opened the second half on a 10-4 run, with Shepard scoring six of those points. Dallas pushed the lead as high as 22 before taking a 70-52 advantage into the fourth. Shepard had eight points, four rebounds and two assists in the period, while Bueckers added seven points and three assists.
Phoenix made one final push in the fourth, cutting the deficit to 80-70 behind a 9-0 run. But Li Yueru answered with an and-one for her first points of the game, and JJ Quinerly knocked down her first bucket of the season to close out the 85-70 win. Lexi Held led Phoenix with 17 points, while Alyssa Thomas finished with nine rebounds and 10 assists.
With the Commissioner’s Cup victory, the Wings earned another $3,000 for Young Leaders, Strong City, bringing their total to $10,000. Dallas now turns its attention to a road matchup against the Portland Fire on Saturday at 7:30 p.m. CT.
