“Defense Will Shape Our Offense”: Tyasha Harris, NaLyssa Smith Detail Dallas Wings’ Matchup Against Seattle Storm
The Dallas Wings are aiming to bounce back from a disappointing 99–84 loss to the Minnesota Lynx in Friday’s season opener. Despite a second consecutive sellout crowd at College Park Center, the Wings struggled to contain Napheesa Collier (34 points) and went from a tie at halftim to being outscored 35-20 in the third quarter.
Arike Ogunbowale led Dallas with 16 points and four assists, while DiJonai Carrington added 15 points. Rookie guard Paige Bueckers contributed 10 points and a team-high seven rebounds in her WNBA debut.
Now turning their attention to the Seattle Storm, who are also seeking their first win after an 81–59 defeat against Phoenix, the Wings are focused on establishing their identity—and according to Tyasha Harris and NaLyssa Smith, that starts on the defensive end.
A Defensive Identity Takes Shape
Harris, now back in Dallas after spending her first three professional seasons with the franchise, said the team’s foundation begins with defense.
“I feel like our defense will shape our offense,” Harris said. “We’re very energetic, young. We have good depth—so just hard-nosed defense, young energy, and we’re gonna play.”
Smith echoed that sentiment, highlighting the team’s commitment to physicality and trust on the back line.
“I’d say we’re all just pulling for each other,” Smith said. “We’re all on the same page about wanting to win, so we go out there every night trying to compete. We sat and talked about the last game, what to bring into this game. So I think it’ll be very different this time.”
Facing a Veteran-Laden Seattle Storm Team
Dallas and Seattle both dropped their season openers and come into Monday’s contest 0–1. While the Wings fell 99–84 to the Minnesota Lynx in front of their second consecutive sellout crowd at College Park Center, the Storm lost 81–59 to the Phoenix Mercury.
Seattle will test Dallas with its length, experience, and All-Star talent, including Skylar Diggins-Smith and Nneka Ogwumike. Harris singled out Diggins-Smith’s scoring versatility as a key challenge.
“She’s a very, very good guard. I feel like she’s a dominant guard—not only a pass-first player but also a scorer in very different ways,” Harris said. “She’s a three-level scorer, she’s shifty in the pull-up area, and she’s strong going with her left hand. Just a very crafty guard that likes to score.”
Both Harris and Smith emphasized the importance of disrupting Seattle’s offensive rhythm early.
“We’re just gonna try to get them out of their actions, give them different looks, pressure them,” Harris said. “Obviously we’ve got to do a better job of pressuring them and not backing up to the three-point line but stopping them at half court.”
Communication and Chemistry Still a Work in Progress
Smith acknowledged that going small at times can put added communication demands on the frontcourt. She and Myisha Hines-Allen are stepping up to anchor the defense vocally.
“We’re post players—we see everything. We’re the back of the defense, so we see the floor the most,” Smith said. “We just gotta be the loudest. That’s something we’ve talked about and we’re gonna embrace it this game to help our team out.”
On offense, Harris said the team is still working through the complexity of installing a new system and determining go-to combinations.
“Just remembering the play calls and figuring out who we want to get the ball to,” Harris said. “We’re so deep with players who can score that we need to figure out who’s gonna shoot the ball and put them in the right action. That’s more on the point guards—me, Paige, and JJ—to figure that out.”
She added that the team’s point guards have been holding meetings to review film and finalize play preferences based on lineups.
“We watch film, different combinations, and what play calls we want to go with—post high, post low, stuff like that,” she said.
A Chance for Dallas Wings to Reset at Home
Dallas enters the night looking to reverse a recent trend against Seattle. The Wings lost all four meetings with the Storm last season and will face them four times again in 2025. Monday’s game will air nationally on NBATV, locally on KFAA, and stream on WNBA League Pass, with tipoff set for 7:00 p.m. CT.
Luisa Geiselsöder, who recently joined the team after winning a French league championship with Landes, was upgraded to available and could make her long-awaited WNBA debut.
With early adversity and new faces on the roster, Harris sees progress already.
“Our attention to detail,” she said. “Just coming out with the scout, focusing on our defense—I feel like that’s gonna be better tonight. Hopefully it gives us a different result.”
More Dallas Wings Articles
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- “I’m Just Excited”: Curt Miller Breaks Down Dallas Wings’ Rebuild, Luisa Geiselsöder’s Arrival, Paige Bueckers’ WNBA Debut, and More
- “Excited for Her Potential”: Luisa Geiselsöder Reports to Dallas Wings, Could Play Against Seattle Storm
- “She’s Just a Great Person and Player”: Napheesa Collier Welcomes Paige Bueckers to the WNBA in Full-Circle Matchup
- “Full-Circle Moment”: Paige Bueckers Makes WNBA Debut as Dallas Wings Host Minnesota Lynx in Sold-Out Opener
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- “It’s So Surreal”: Paige Bueckers Reacts to Hopkins Renaming Itself in Her Honor
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