‘They Just Made Great Plays’: Paige Bueckers, Myisha Hines-Allen Shine but Dallas Wings Fall to Los Angeles Sparks

Grant AfsethSeptember 7, 2025October 21, 2025no comment

Paige Bueckers, Dallas Wings, WNBA, Los Angeles Sparks

Photo by Meg Oliphant/Getty Images

The Dallas Wings went toe-to-toe with the Los Angeles Sparks for three quarters before fading late in a 91–77 loss Sunday at Crypto.com Arena. Paige Bueckers paced Dallas with 18 points, seven assists, and six rebounds, while Myisha Hines-Allen added 15 points, 13 rebounds, and seven assists for her second consecutive double-double.

Dallas also got steady production across the lineup. Maddy Siegrist finished with 13 points and nine rebounds, her 11th straight game in double figures. Amy Okonkwo added nine points and four rebounds off the bench, and Grace Berger contributed seven points, six rebounds, and four assists.

Los Angeles countered with a historic night from Julie Allemand, who scored a career-high 21 points on perfect shooting (8-for-8 from the field, 3-for-3 from three, 2-for-2 at the line) while adding five steals and four assists. Azurá Stevens logged 13 points and 11 boards for her ninth double-double of the year, and Dearica Hamby chipped in 15 points, eight rebounds, and four assists. Off the bench, Rae Burrell poured in 13 points — 11 of them in the fourth quarter — to put the game out of reach.

Early Struggles Put Dallas Wings Behind

The Sparks came out aggressively defensively, trapping Bueckers and forcing turnovers. Dallas committed eight giveaways in the first quarter and shot just 29.4% while missing all five of its three-point attempts. Los Angeles capitalized with a 12–0 run to build a double-digit lead and held a 21–14 edge after one.

“I thought we played to advantages pretty well tonight,” Bueckers said. “Getting it out of the traps and then playing to a four-on-three or a three-on-two. We got great shots, so it’s a make-or-miss league, and tonight they just didn’t go in.”

The Wings steadied in the second quarter, led by eight points from Bueckers and five from Grace Berger. They limited their turnovers and chipped away, trailing 40–33 at halftime despite 11 points and seven rebounds from Azurá Stevens.

Dallas Wings Swing Back in the Third

The Wings opened the second half with a 15–4 run to tie the score at 46–46. Bueckers orchestrated offense out of traps, while Hines-Allen powered her way to nine points in the frame. At the 4:26 mark, Hines-Allen buried a corner three to give Dallas its first lead since the opening minutes at 55–54.

“We just executed offensively and defensively, got it out of the traps and played to advantages, got lobs, got wide-open threes, got a little bit out in transition,” Bueckers said.

But Los Angeles answered with a 9–2 spurt and then regained momentum when Julie Allemand drilled a three-pointer just before the buzzer, putting the Sparks back on top 66–64 heading to the fourth.

Los Angeles Sparks’ Run Ends It

The Wings were held scoreless for the first 4:30 of the final period as the Sparks exploded for a 16–0 run. Rae Burrell scored 11 points in the quarter, and Los Angeles outscored Dallas 25–13 over the final 10 minutes.

“At the start of the fourth, they just made great plays,” Bueckers said. “They got a lot of offensive rebounds off long threes, so rebounds went over our head, and they got multiple opportunities.”

Koclanes pointed to the turning point as the Sparks’ depth off the bench, particularly Burrell’s fourth-quarter surge, and the defensive minutes Dallas had to navigate from Barker. He felt those contributions swung momentum away just as the Wings had pulled within striking distance.

“Rae [Burrell] is just an extremely aggressive player, plays with so much energy,” he said. “Sarah Ashley Barker gave them really good minutes as a defensive presence on Paige. Credit to their bench for showing up and helping them when we threw a little bit of a punch in the third.”

For the Sparks, head coach Lynn Roberts echoed the same theme. She highlighted Barker’s size and toughness as central to the defensive game plan on Bueckers, while also noting the collective effort it took to keep the rookie guard from exploding as she had in past matchups.

“SA has great size for a two-guard — she’s six feet tall, strong, and unafraid to guard anybody,” Roberts said. “She did a really good job. Paige still ended up with 18, which speaks to her talent, but we weren’t going to let her go off again.”

Foundation in Focus

Hines-Allen’s double-double marked her first back-to-back since 2021, and her line made her just the 12th player in league history to record at least 15 points, 13 rebounds, seven assists, and a block in the same game. Before tipoff, Koclanes praised her leadership.

“She’s been a steady, calming influence for the team and has found her own ways to lead,” Koclanes said.

Bueckers, meanwhile, continued her chase of rookie milestones — now 14 points shy of A’ja Wilson for third on the rookie scoring list and four assists behind Sue Bird for third in rookie assists.

“Playing alongside a pro like Myisha, like I’ve talked about a lot, just the foundation that we’re building and how to be process-oriented,” Bueckers said.

Dallas outrebounded Los Angeles 46–41, but 17 turnovers leading to 21 Sparks points proved too costly.

“Just always together,” Koclanes said. “Continue to learn from every opportunity we get. We go home, get a couple of days to practice before that game, so it’s two more opportunities to learn from this one, prepare, and get better.”

The Wings return to College Park Center on Thursday against Phoenix. They will close the season with Bueckers’ steady play and Hines-Allen’s leadership serving as the foundation for the future.

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Grant Afseth

Senior Writer

Grant Afseth is a Senior Writer for DallasHoopsJournal.com, where he leads in-depth coverage of the Mavericks, Wings, and more. Between a focus on the latest news, closer looks at games, front office strategy, and more, Afseth provides objective coverage. Afseth contributes broader NBA coverage across platforms and has been cited in national outlets for his reporting and analysis. With nearly a decade of journalism experience, Afseth has covered the NBA and WNBA for multiple major outlets, including Athlon Sports, BallIsLife, Sportskeeda, and RG.org. He previously reported on the Indiana Pacers for CNHI’s Kokomo Tribune and the Mavericks for FanNation.

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