‘We’ve Got to Be Better Defensively’: Dallas Wings Fall to Chicago Sky Despite Li Yueru’s Double-Double
Li Yueru tallied a season-high 18 points and her third double-double of the season, but the Dallas Wings couldn’t overcome a blistering third quarter from Rebecca Allen and dropped their third straight road game in an 87–76 loss to the Chicago Sky on Wednesday night at Wintrust Arena.
Allen poured in 27 points, including 15 in the third quarter, to lead Chicago (6–13) to a season sweep of Dallas (6–15). Paige Bueckers added 17 points to extend her double-digit scoring streak to 16 games, while JJ Quinerly had 16 points, five assists, and a career-best three steals before fouling out late.
Despite taking almost 20 more shots than the Sky and forcing 18 turnovers, Dallas shot just 36 percent from the field and 26.9 percent from beyond the arc.
“We just weren’t able to convert,” said Myisha Hines-Allen. “But at the end of the day, we’ve got to defend. I don’t think we were able to do that the past two games at a level to win.”
Strong Start, Familiar Finish
The Wings opened with a rookie-heavy lineup—Quinerly, Bueckers, Aziaha James, Luisa Geiselsöder, and Yueru—for the third straight game. They remain without injured starters Arike Ogunbowale, DiJonai Carrington, and Maddy Siegrist.
After falling behind 4–0, Dallas responded with a 10–0 run sparked by Bueckers and held an early lead. Haley Jones, who re-signed earlier in the day, contributed four points off the bench in 15 minutes.
“I love Haley’s high IQ and versatility,” said head coach Chris Koclanes. “To be able to just plug her in—at the wing, play a little bit of four, initiate offense at the one—that’s huge.”
The Wings trailed 19–18 after one and remained competitive throughout the first half until a 10–2 Chicago run closed the second quarter and sent Dallas into the break down 45–37.
Yueru’s Inside-Out Game Emerges
Yueru provided one of her most complete games of the season, hitting 7-of-13 shots and both of her three-point attempts. Her performance included five points in a 10–2 run, giving Dallas a brief third-quarter lead.
“When it’s open, I want to shoot it,” Yueru said. “I think I can make more shots, and that brings me more confidence. I want to win, so I hope I can keep making shots and bring more wins to the team.”
Koclanes praised her evolving offensive profile.
“She has the inside-out, and today we saw the out,” he said. “To pop her out to the perimeter and get her wide-open threes—she’s as good of a shooter as most people on our team.”
He also noted the broader experimentation taking place in the frontcourt.
“We’re exploring, right? Can we space the floor more? Go five out?” Koclanes added. “Li and Luisa both provide that type of spacing consistently. You saw some of that tonight.”
Allen Erupts, Wings Can’t Recover
The Wings led 55–54 midway through the third quarter, but Allen exploded with 15 points on 5-of-6 shooting in the period—including 3-of-3 from deep—turning the game decisively in Chicago’s favor.
“She got loose a little bit early,” Koclanes said. “We tried locking, trailing, being there on the catch. Some of it was self-inflicted—strong-side corner kick threes. But give credit to Rebecca. She’s a veteran in this league.”
Koclanes said the game presented a contrast in experience.
“You give them grace, right? That’s three rookies out there who are living through this,” he said. “Rebecca Allen is a veteran. These players understand things, move off the ball, and have smarts that our rookies are learning and experiencing firsthand.”
Still, he was encouraged by specific matchups.
“I liked how we guarded Ariel Atkins. That was the challenge coming in,” Koclanes said. “Can we guard Ariel and Rachel [Banham]? I thought we did a pretty good job on those two and limiting them.”
Late Push Falls Flat
Chicago opened the fourth on a 13–5 run to push its lead to 15. Dallas answered with a 9–0 burst to cut it to 82–76 with 3:38 remaining, but missed its final six shots and failed to score the rest of the way.
Quinerly, who had eight points in the third quarter alone, fouled out with 5:01 left.
“I stayed with the process throughout training camp,” she said. “When my number was called, I was going to be up for the opportunity. I have fun playing with them.”
She also stressed the team’s need to be consistent away from home.
“We’ve got to bring what we bring from home on the road,” Quinerly said. “That consistency will be big for us.”
Koclanes echoed that the lessons learned from these moments are long-term investments.
“They didn’t know what was coming until it hit them,” he said. “That experience matters. The good thing is, they’re going to be better for all of this.”
Sticking to the Process
Bueckers finished with 17 points and continued emphasizing trust in the team’s approach despite shooting woes.
“There are 44 games in the season—you’re not going to shoot well every single night,” she said. “But we’ve got to continue to trust our work and stick to our process.”
She added that the defense must become the team’s road identity.
“We’ve let too many guards get off on us,” Bueckers said. “Not every night we’re going to make shots, but how can we win when we’re not making shots? That’s where defense has to travel.”
Veteran Perspective, Long-Term Vision
Hines-Allen, one of just two Wings available players with over five years of WNBA experience, continued to lead vocally in the locker room.
“This is a young group,” she said. “Me and T [Teaira McCowan] are the only ones here longer than five years. But I’m proud of the rookies. They’re continuing to play with confidence.”
She added that once veteran pieces return, the team’s ability to close games will improve.
“Once we get other pieces back, we’ll be adding players who know what it takes to finish games out,” Hines-Allen said. “But right now, I’m just proud they’re staying aggressive. The ball’s going to fall.”
What’s Next
The Wings will look to snap their skid and end the road trip on a high note when they face the Indiana Fever on Sunday at Gainbridge Fieldhouse. Tipoff is set for noon CT on ABC.
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