DHJ Quick Take: Wings Carry Win Streak Into Sparks Test in Los Angeles
The Dallas Wings practiced in Los Angeles on Thursday ahead of Friday’s Commissioner’s Cup game at the Los Angeles Sparks, with the focus on slowing one of the league’s most efficient offenses. Dallas enters on a three-game winning streak after holding the Seattle Storm to a season-low 56 points on Monday.
- Fernandez On Defensive Keys: Jose Fernandez said defending the Sparks’ interior post presence is the top priority and that the Wings have to prepare for personnel uncertainty, including Kelsey Plum‘s status.
- Bueckers On Half-Court Defense: Paige Bueckers said the key is locking in against the league’s most efficient half-court offense and pointed to a retooled Sparks roster that added Nneka Ogwumike, Ariel Atkins and Erica Wheeler.
- Shepard’s Honor And Frontcourt Fit: Jessica Shepard, named Western Conference Player of the Week, credited her chemistry with Awak Kuier after the two played two seasons together in Europe.
- Fudd On Defensive Growth: Azzi Fudd tied the Wings’ recent defensive improvement to team-wide pressure and trust in rotations, and praised Shepard’s rebounding and playmaking.
- Kuier, Li Yueru Did Not Practice: Awak Kuier (right wrist) and Li Yueru (left ankle) did not take part, with Kuier running sprints during the open media portion and Yueru stretching with the athletic trainer and icing her ankle.
LOS ANGELES — The Dallas Wings practiced Thursday ahead of Friday’s Commissioner’s Cup game against the Los Angeles Sparks. Azzi Fudd, Paige Bueckers, Jessica Shepard and head coach Jose Fernandez met with the media.
Awak Kuier (right wrist) and Li Yueru (left ankle) did not practice. Kuier ran sprints during the open media portion of practice, while Yueru spent much of the session stretching with the athletic trainer and had ice on her ankle as she walked out of the gym.
Dallas (6-3) has won three straight, beating the Seattle Storm 79-56 on Monday in its Commissioner’s Cup opener, holding Seattle to a season-low 56 points. The 6-3 start is the franchise’s best over a nine-game span since it moved to North Texas in 2016. Friday’s game continues Commissioner’s Cup play.
Fernandez framed the matchup around defending a Sparks team that scores efficiently inside.
“I think interiorly we have to do a really great job defending their post presence, number one,” Fernandez said.
He said the Wings also have to prepare for uncertainty regarding personnel on the Sparks’ side, including the status of Kelsey Plum, and that the focus in practice was on Dallas’s own execution. On Shepard’s Player of the Week month, Fernandez pointed to her ability to push the ball off a rebound and start the offense.
“I think it’s her court vision and being able to handle the ball, get it off the glass, and initiate offense,” Fernandez said. “She had a great month.”
He credited the defense’s recent growth to improved ball pressure and better help positioning.
Bueckers said the priority is defending one of the league’s most efficient half-court offenses.
“I think really locking in defensively,” Bueckers said. “They really execute their sets.”
She noted the Sparks have retooled since the teams last met, losing Rickea Jackson while adding Ariel Atkins, Erica Wheeler and Nneka Ogwumike. Bueckers said Shepard’s passing lets her play off the ball.
“It makes me super comfortable getting off the ball and knowing that my cutting and my screening can create opportunities,” Bueckers said.
Fudd said the Wings’ recent defensive improvement comes from collective effort.
“I think we’re doing a great job of playing team defense, not leaving people on an island, and just clogging the paint and making things hard,” Fudd said.
She said slowing the Sparks starts with limiting a high-efficiency offense and praised Shepard’s impact on both ends.
“She gets every single rebound offensively and defensively,” Fudd said. “It just makes everything easier on the floor.”
Shepard, who was named WNBA Western Conference Player of the Week on June 2 and is the first Dallas player to earn the honor since 2023, said she has grown more comfortable reading her teammates.
“I think it’s just getting more comfortable on the offensive end and understanding where my teammates want to be, where they like the ball, and helping in whatever way I can,” Shepard said.
She said her frontcourt fit with Awak Kuier comes from time together overseas.
“Awak and I actually played together for two years over in Europe,” Shepard said. “She likes to play more on the perimeter. She’s a better shooter. I’m better on the inside, so we kind of complement each other.”
The Wings visit the Sparks on Friday at Crypto.com Arena with tip-off set for 9 p.m. CT.
Full interviews below.
Azzi Fudd
Paige Bueckers
Jessica Shepard
Jose Fernandez
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