‘Can’t Keep Getting in a Hole’: Dallas Wings Fall to Golden State Valkyries Despite Balanced Effort, Paige Bueckers’ Streak Ends
The Dallas Wings fell 90-81 to the Golden State Valkyries on Sunday afternoon in front of a sold‑out crowd at College Park Center — the club’s eighth sellout of 2025 and seventh of the regular season. Dallas dropped to 9-29; Golden State improved to 19-18.
Five Wings hit double figures. Maddy Siegrist led with 16 points, five rebounds, three steals, one block and one assist. Haley Jones scored 15 (11 in the fourth). Myisha Hines‑Allen added 15 points and eight boards off the bench. Amy Okonkwo delivered 12 points in just her second career game, and Grace Berger posted a season‑high 11.
Paige Bueckers finished with nine points and nine assists. Her streak of 30 consecutive double‑digit games ended, leaving her two behind Candace Parker (32) and three behind record‑holder A’ja Wilson (33) for the most by a rookie; it remains the longest streak by a guard to open a WNBA career.
From 20–6 Hole to Halftime Lead
Dallas rolled out a starting five of Grace Berger, Paige Bueckers, Maddy Siegrist, Haley Jones and Luisa Geiselsöder for the sixth time this season. Golden State landed the first punches — a Temi Fagbenle three and a 20–6 burst — with Kaila Charles piling up seven points, three rebounds, and two assists in the opening frame. The Wings struggled to stay connected defensively and shot just 20% from the floor, trailing 23–12 after one.
Hines-Allen said the team didn’t execute its defensive plan in those early minutes, which allowed Golden State to dictate the game right away.
“I think we weren’t really good at the point of attack and doing our schemes the correct way, like we discussed,” Hines-Allen told DallasHoopsJournal.com. “Credit to them — we knew what they wanted to do. We were just unable, for a whole game, to take away what we wanted to take away, which was their three-point attempts and makes.”
The second quarter swung dramatically. Hines‑Allen and Okonkwo scored Dallas’ first 11 points of the frame, fueling a 24–9 run that flipped the game. Okonkwo’s drive and finish at the rim sent Dallas into halftime up 38–36.
Head coach Chris Koclanes said the turnaround flowed from defense, crediting the bench for sparking stops that allowed Dallas to play in rhythm. After conceding open looks early, the Wings tightened rotations, forced Golden State into 31% shooting in the second quarter, and turned rebounds into transition chances that flipped momentum heading into halftime.
“Stops,” Koclanes said. “The bench brought energy, but ultimately we got stops and were able to play in flow.”
Okonkwo said she attacked her minutes with urgency, determined to make an immediate impact in only her second career appearance. She came off the bench in the second quarter and quickly scored 10 points while grabbing three rebounds, helping Dallas erase a double-digit deficit and seize momentum going into halftime. Her activity on both ends — stretching the floor, attacking closeouts, and crashing the glass — gave the Wings a jolt the starters had been missing in the opening frame.
“I know when I step on the floor, I have to give my all,” Okonkwo said. “This opportunity means the world to me — I’m living my dream, and I couldn’t ask for a better place to do it.”
Veronica Burton’s Answer and the 11–3 Swing
The momentum didn’t hold out during the break. Former Wing Veronica Burton took over late in the third, scoring 10 in the period and keying an 11–3 Valkyries run. She finished with 25 points and 13 assists, hitting 8 of 8 at the line.
Jones said Dallas’ perimeter coverage wasn’t sharp enough, especially as Golden State turned to its middle ball-screen sets in the third. The Valkyries shot 4-of-8 from deep in the quarter, with Iliana Rupert connecting twice and Burton punishing rotations on kick-outs.
“A big thing for us coming in was defending the arc, and I don’t think we did that. They got up 40 threes and hit 16,” Jones told DallasHoopsJournal.com. “With a lot of their middle ball-screen action, it kept putting us into rotations — whether at the point of attack or over-helping on the backside — and it led to a lot of kick-outs. Turnovers weren’t the problem today; we only had three. It was really just defending the arc, and I don’t think we stopped their runs quickly enough. It compounded into a variety of things.”
Siegrist said the Valkyries’ precision was back-breaking at key moments, particularly when Dallas had trimmed the deficit and needed a stop to sustain momentum. Golden State repeatedly answered with contested jumpers or threes late in the shot clock, turning potential momentum swings into dagger possessions.
“They were executing their sets and hitting tough shots,” Siegrist told DallasHoopsJournal.com. “Those are the ones that break your back — the contested ones in bunches.”
Koclanes said the breakdowns were about timing as much as coverage, noting that Dallas often rotated a half-second too late or failed to finish possessions after forcing initial misses. Golden State capitalized on those lapses with kick-outs for threes and nearly 20 second-chance points, swinging control back after the Wings had fought into the lead.
“Anytime we had some slippage or were just a half-second late, they exploited us,” Koclanes told DallasHoopsJournal.com. “Credit to them for executing better than us on that side of the ball. And then the other piece was the second chances. When we did get some first-shot misses, they were able to get a ton of offensive rebounds and had almost 20 second-chance points.
“We had moments, but not enough,” he continued. “I continue to challenge this group, and we’ll continue to watch, learn, and get better as this goes on.
Pressure on Paige Bueckers, Kate Martin’s Triples, Late Haley Jones Push
Golden State opened the fourth with a 13–4 run and closed on a 17–7 spurt, hitting six threes in the quarter. Kate Martin buried three off the bench, and Burton added two as the visitors stretched the lead. Dallas dominated the paint and the turnover battle but couldn’t match the perimeter barrage.
Hines-Allen said Bueckers’ gravity invited constant extra attention, which forced the Wings into stretches where ball movement had to carry them. Golden State often shaded two defenders her way in the half-court and collapsed the paint on her drives, daring Dallas to beat them with jumpers. That pressure created open looks, but the Wings couldn’t convert consistently enough to punish the coverage.
“That’s the next progression of our team,” Hines-Allen said. “We know Paige demands a lot of attention. We’ve all seen the clip of Nneka [Ogwumike] saying the game plan was to send five at her. So it’s on everyone else to step up and be confident. Amy came in and was amazing. If we had kept hitting those open looks throughout the game, it’s a different outcome. I think they mentioned we got 12 or 14 extra shots up — it was just about making those easy ones.”
Siegrist said the Wings must cash in more consistently against those schemes, noting that while Dallas moved the ball well to generate open looks in the second quarter, the shots stopped falling once Golden State adjusted. After hitting over 50% from the field in the second frame, the Wings cooled off in the second half and couldn’t punish the Valkyries for trapping Bueckers.
We just gotta be able to capitalize a little bit better,” Siegrist told DallasHoopsJournal.com. “I thought we did a much better job not turning the ball over in those situations, but we just gotta be able to hit some more shots and get them out of it a little bit quicker.”
Jones said Dallas needs to diversify its counters when traps come, explaining that the Wings have had success using the short roll at times this season, but opponents are adjusting. Against Golden State, the ball stuck too often when Bueckers was blitzed, and the Wings were left resetting late in the shot clock. Jones stressed that Dallas has to build in more options — quick handoffs, slips to the rim, and decisive weak-side actions — to stay one step ahead.
“We could be better,” Jones told DallasHoopsJournal.com. “In the past, we’ve done really well rising out of the short roll, but teams are getting on that. We need a variety of options — maybe not always having Paige come off ball screens, but getting her touches in handoffs and different actions … When the ball sticks and she gets trapped, it’s about what we do next. We need to anticipate it and create more solutions.”
Koclanes expressed frustration with the lack of calls on Bueckers’ drives, noting that the rookie absorbed contact all night without being rewarded at the free-throw line. He picked up a technical foul in the fourth quarter after arguing a missed call on a box-out collision, saying he felt he needed to show his players that their effort was being protected.
“It was extremely physical,” Koclanes emphasized. “She was attacking the rim and playing in the paint downhill, and for her to only go to the free-throw line two times — something’s off there. For her to play that hard with all the fouls in the game and all that physicality, I don’t agree with that.
“But credit to Paige for continuing to stick with it. She just has a next-play mentality and doesn’t let that linger,” he explained. “She can get to the next play quickly. She had nine assists, made the right plays, and kept attacking. But other people around her have to step up and make some shots too.”
Jones provided a final push with 11 points in the fourth and reflected on staying present after a tough shooting start. Her scoring burst included two threes and several strong drives that briefly cut into Golden State’s lead, giving Dallas a chance to hang around despite the Valkyries’ perimeter onslaught. She said staying aggressive was a point of emphasis after feeling she pressed too much in the previous game.
“I’ve felt like I’ve been taking the right shots but not finishing around the rim, and I let that influence my mindset,” Jones told DallasHoopsJournal.com. “Last game, I really went internal in the second half. Today I missed my first few shots, but I tried to be intentional about contributing in other ways and still being a good teammate. I’m proud of myself for pulling out of that and not letting it be detrimental to the second half. That wasn’t just me — my teammates kept me steady and present, and I really appreciate them for that.”
Energy, Perspective — and What’s Next
Even in defeat, the Wings pointed to the intangibles that keep them competing through a difficult season. With another sold-out crowd behind them and players stepping into larger roles, Dallas leaned on perspective and togetherness to carry them forward.
Hines-Allen said perspective fuels her effort, pointing to family and the locker room’s support. She explained that on a roster thinned by injuries, leaning on one another has kept the group steady even when results have been hard to come by.
“It’s about our group. We’ve got a locker room full of women and coaches who pour into us, so we can keep competing even when it’s tough.” Hines-Allen said. “My nephew just beat cancer — that’s the end of the world. Playing basketball isn’t. Tonight was for him. That’s why I keep perspective, show up smiling, and keep building.”
Hines-Allen said the injury grind has been real, but the group stays connected. She emphasized that while bodies are worn down across the league, Dallas’ focus has been on who is available each night and how players can provide energy, whether on the floor or from the bench.
“This is the first year I’ve dealt with so many injuries during the season,” Hines‑Allen said. “Everyone’s bodies are tired across the league, not just us. It’s part of the game, but somebody always steps up. Nobody feels sorry for us, so it’s about who puts on the jersey and gives energy, whether on the court or the bench.”
Koclanes said the identity piece remains intact despite the record. He pointed to the team’s character — gratitude, resilience, and accountability — as the foundation for long-term growth, even as the Wings continue to battle through adversity.
“We’re not saying it’s okay to lose, but we do have standards and accountability,” Koclanes said. “When you show up with that gratitude and perspective every day, long-term it helps us. We’ve got fantastic people in that locker room who stick together and want to get better.”
Dallas closes a three‑game homestand Wednesday against the Connecticut Sun at 7 p.m. CT. The Wings hold a 2–0 edge in the 2025 series.
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