STWF Sports| PHOENIX, Arizona| September 21, 2026 — The Dallas Wings saw their six-game winning streak come to an end Monday night, falling 87-86 to the Phoenix Mercury in a dramatic finish at Mortgage Matchup Center.
Despite the loss, the night belonged in part to Paige Bueckers, who scored 30 points and set a new Wings single-season scoring record with 853 points. The mark surpassed Arike Ogunbowale’s previous record of 849 points, set in 2023.
Dallas dropped to 26-17 with one game remaining in the regular season, while Phoenix improved to 16-27.
Bueckers added seven assists and five rebounds in another complete performance. It was her fourth 30-point game of the season and sixth of her career, the second-most in franchise history.
Jessica Shepard also delivered a major effort, finishing with 17 points and a game-high 19 rebounds for her 24th double-double of the season. Shepard also continued to distinguish herself on the glass, recording at least 15 rebounds for the ninth time this year.
Dallas controlled much of the night before Phoenix rallied late.
The Wings opened with a strong first quarter, taking a 26-19 lead behind Bueckers’ early command of the offense. She accounted for all of Dallas’ first 13 points either by scoring or assisting, setting up Awak Kuier for a pair of three-pointers and helping the Wings establish rhythm immediately.
Dallas extended its lead to as many as 14 in the second quarter, but Phoenix began cutting into the margin. The Mercury closed the half with a 14-5 run and trimmed the Wings’ advantage to 47-43.
The game remained tight after halftime.
Phoenix briefly took the lead in the third quarter following a 7-0 run, but Dallas answered with a 17-3 surge to regain control. Bueckers scored 10 points in the period, while Shepard dominated the boards, collecting nine rebounds in the quarter alone.
The Wings carried a 68-61 advantage into the fourth.
Dallas then opened the final period by making its first three shots, pushing the lead to 74-63 with 8:47 remaining. From there, Phoenix steadily worked its way back.
The Mercury cut the deficit to two at 79-77 with 2:23 left before tying the game at 81 with under a minute remaining.
Bueckers responded with a three-pointer with 33.3 seconds left, putting Dallas back ahead 84-81. After both teams traded free throws, the Wings held an 86-83 advantage with 16.9 seconds remaining.
Phoenix quickly scored to make it 86-85, then forced a critical turnover after a Dallas reset timeout.
Ogunbowale became tied up near midcourt, and Phoenix won the ensuing jump ball. Kahleah Copper capitalized by scoring the go-ahead basket with 2.4 seconds remaining.
Bueckers’ final heave missed, allowing Phoenix to complete the comeback.
Copper led all scorers with 31 points, while Alyssa Thomas posted 11 rebounds and 12 assists.
Dallas shot 41.9 percent from the field and 43.5 percent from three-point range but converted just 14 of 21 free throws. Phoenix shot 41.8 percent overall and held a 40-22 advantage in points in the paint.
Awak Kuier added eight points, five rebounds and five blocks, marking her fourth game this season with at least five rejections.
The Wings now turn their attention to Wednesday’s regular-season finale at Seattle.
Dallas enters the final game tied with New York for seventh place and remains within reach of Washington and Indiana in the standings. The Wings own the head-to-head tiebreaker over New York but lost the season series to Washington.
Tipoff against the Storm is scheduled for 9 p.m. CT, with national coverage on USA Network and local coverage on KFAA 29.
