DHJ Quick Take: Wings Smother Storm 79-56 to Open Commissioner’s Cup Play
The Dallas Wings held the Seattle Storm to a season-low 56 points and grabbed a season-high 48 rebounds in a 79-56 Commissioner’s Cup opener, their best start since the franchise moved to Texas in 2016.
- How did the Wings win? Dallas shot just 35.8% from the field and 5-of-25 from 3-point range, but it held Seattle to a season-low 56 points, won the offensive glass with 18 of its 48 rebounds, and turned that into a 25-6 edge in second-chance points.
- Who led Dallas? Aziaha James scored a season-high 18 points off the bench, while Paige Bueckers finished one assist shy of a triple-double with 10 points, 9 rebounds, and 7 assists.
- Why does the win matter? At 6-3, the Wings own their best start through nine games since relocating to Texas in 2016 and have won three straight, their longest streak since 2024.
- What’s next? Dallas visits the Los Angeles Sparks on Friday at 9 p.m. CT in a game televised nationally on ION.
ARLINGTON, Texas — The Dallas Wings shot 35.8% from the field and made just 5 of 25 from 3-point range, then won going away anyway, smothering the Seattle Storm 79-56 on Monday in their Commissioner’s Cup opener at College Park Center.
Dallas held Seattle to a season-low 56 points, the fewest any team has scored in the WNBA this season, and grabbed a season-high 48 rebounds, 18 of them on the offensive end, to overcome a cold shooting night. The win moved the Wings to 6-3, the franchise’s best start through nine games since it relocated to Texas in 2016, and extended their winning streak to three, their longest since 2024.
The 23-point margin matched Dallas’ largest of the season and ranked as the fifth-largest in the WNBA this year. It was also the Wings’ first regular-season home win over Seattle since Sept. 8, 2023, played before the team’s fourth home sellout of the season.
The Storm, without Ezi Magbegor and Dominique Malonga and a night removed from a 21-point road loss to the Toronto Tempo, shot 20-of-61 (32.8%) under first-year head coach Sonia Raman and committed 17 turnovers. Dallas won the paint 36-24, second-chance points 25-6, and bench scoring 33-20.
The Wings came in off a 95-87 victory over the defending-champion Las Vegas Aces, a game in which Jessica Shepard recorded the WNBA’s first 22-point, 20-rebound, 10-assist triple-double and Azzi Fudd scored 22 in her first WNBA start.
A Defense-First Win on the Glass
The defense set the tone immediately. A deep 3-pointer by Fudd triggered a 7-0 run in the opening 2:15, and Dallas held Seattle to 0-of-8 from the field to start the game. The Storm managed just 25 points in the first half, the fewest a Wings opponent has scored in a half this season, then scored only 12 in the third quarter on 27.8% shooting, another season low for a Dallas opponent.
The tracking data backed up the eye test. Dallas scored 0.79 points per possession in the half-court offense to Seattle’s 0.64 and was at its sharpest after timeouts, where 11 possessions produced 1.60 points per possession. On the offensive glass, the Wings generated 1.50 points per possession across 18 second-chance opportunities, including 8 put-backs, while Seattle managed only 6 such chances.
Maddy Siegrist anchored the rebounding effort with a season-high 9 boards, 6 of them on the offensive end, to go with 9 points and 2 assists. Siegrist said the approach did not change on a cold shooting night, and that the defensive result was the takeaway.
“We didn’t really approach it any differently than any other game,” Siegrist said. “Some days you just don’t shoot the ball well, and I think today was one of those days, outside of [Aziaha James] shooting the ball great. It was a struggle overall, but being able to defend and hold a team in this league to 56 points was something we should hold our hats on.”
She credited the defensive effort to contesting everything and forcing Seattle into uncomfortable looks.
“Just trying to contest as many shots, make it as hard as possible,” Siegrist said. “They have a lot of talented players who do a great job getting downhill, who can also shoot, do different things. So just trying to make them do something that they don’t want to do.”
Fudd, who scored 9 points on 4-of-7 shooting and added a steal and a block, pushed back on the notion that opponents target her on defense.
“Defense is mostly effort,” Fudd said. “I’ve been told teams like to pick on me. I don’t know why. I feel like I play pretty hard.”
Paige Bueckers finished one assist shy of a triple-double with 10 points, a career-high-tying 9 rebounds, and a team-high 7 assists. She also surpassed 850 career points and 240 assists, matching Caitlin Clark as the fastest player in WNBA history to reach both marks in 45 games. Shepard added 9 points and 8 rebounds. Flau’jae Johnson led Seattle with a double-double of 16 points and 10 rebounds, and Natisha Hiedeman added 11.
Aziaha James Posts a Season-High Off the Bench
Aziaha James finished with a season-high 18 points, 3 rebounds, and 1 assist on 7-of-14 shooting, though much of her scoring came after Dallas had taken control. The sophomore guard scored 4 points during a second-quarter run that pushed the lead to 10, then poured in 7 straight in the third quarter to make it 55-31, and added 7 more in the fourth, including 5 in a row on a feed from Odyssey Sims that stretched the margin to 73-46. In all, 14 of her 18 points came with Dallas ahead by at least 19.
James also drew two charges, including one that pulled a loud clap from head coach Jose Fernandez on the sideline. She pointed to effort and energy as the parts of the game the second unit can always control.
“Me and Maddy always emphasize control what we can control,” James said. “Whenever we get in the game, we’ve got to do what we’ve got to do and just help the starting five keep carrying that energy on.”
With her outside shot scuffling in recent games, James said she leaned on the part of her game she trusts most.
“My three’s been off lately, so attacking downhill has always been my strong suit,” James said. “So just keep going, trying to get to the rim for sure.”
Fernandez tied her production to conversations the staff has had with her about shot selection and playmaking.
“She attacked the rim and she got to her spot,” Fernandez said. “In conversations that we’ve had with Zia about rebounding opportunities and extra passes and sometimes settling for stuff, I thought she came in, she was aggressive and did a good job.”
Fernandez added that James’ growth on defense earned her the run.
“Everyone has seen her improvement on the defensive end, keeping the ball in front of her,” Fernandez said. “She’s been disruptive all year with ball pressure and guarding pick-and-rolls and getting over screens. So for her to get the time, use the time, and come out of this game feeling really good, that’s what you want.”
Arike Ogunbowale Works Through a Cold Stretch
Arike Ogunbowale went 2-of-13 from the field for 9 points, her second straight difficult shooting night, but she still pulled down 4 offensive rebounds among her 5 boards and made 5-of-6 free throws.
Fernandez said the looks were there and that her process has not wavered.
“I thought she took a lot of really good shots. The ball didn’t go in the basket,” Fernandez said. “But I thought she went to the glass and got two big offensive rebounds. It’s not because she’s not putting the work in. She’s in the gym all the time.”
Jose Fernandez on Finding a Different Way to Win
It was Dallas’ first win of the season scoring fewer than 90 points, and the offense reflected it. The Wings pushed the ball on 36 transition possessions but managed just 0.52 points per possession in transition, and their 21 spot-up chances produced only 0.38 points per possession on a night when they made just 5 of 25 from deep. The damage came in the half-court and on the glass instead.
Fernandez framed the grind as a marker of a maturing team.
“That’s what I told our team,” Fernandez said. “To play like we did and to win is a sign of a good team — that you found a way. Because it was not a pretty basketball game. It wasn’t.”
Bueckers agreed, and then some.
“Sometimes you gotta win ugly like tonight,” Bueckers said. “I feel bad for the people who are watching. They should get all their money back.”
The result let Fernandez rest four of his five starters down the stretch with a quick turnaround ahead, and he kept the bigger picture in front of his group.
“Every win has the same value. Every single one of the 44 games matters and means something, because that’s the difference at the end of the year with seeding and playoff implications and everything like that,” Fernandez said. “That’s why we always talk about the next-game mentality, and the next game is the most important one.”
The victory opened Commissioner’s Cup group play for Dallas, and Young Leaders, Strong City, the Wings’ designated beneficiary, will receive $3,000. Dallas visits the Los Angeles Sparks on Friday at 9 p.m. CT, with the game televised nationally on ION.
More Wings Coverage on Dallas Hoops Journal
- Dallas Wings’ Awak Kuier To Be Evaluated In One Week With Wrist Injury
- ‘Communication Solves A Lot Of Problems’: Elite On Offense, The Dallas Wings’ Next Step Is Defense
- ‘Another Angle Of Attack’: Dallas Wings’ Elite Offense Keeps Adding Layers With Jessica Shepard As An Initiator
- Dallas Wings Open Commissioner’s Cup Play Against The Seattle Storm
- Alanna Smith Set To Return For Dallas Wings After Illness Absence Against Seattle Storm
- How ‘Slowing Down’ Unlocked Azzi Fudd’s Historic Dallas Wings Rookie Breakout
- Dallas Wings Rule Out Awak Kuier vs. Seattle Storm; Alysha Clark Probable
- ‘Incredible Resolve’: Azzi Fudd Shines In First Start, Jessica Shepard Makes WNBA History As Dallas Wings Stun Las Vegas Aces 95-87
