DHJ Quick Take: Jessica Shepard Leads Short-Handed Wings Into Sparks Frontcourt Test
Reigning Western Conference Player of the Week Jessica Shepard says defense will decide Friday’s game as the short-handed Dallas Wings visit the Los Angeles Sparks. She carries a heavier interior load with two bigs sidelined.
- Why does it matter? Shepard says defense is the key against a talented Sparks team and will shoulder more inside with Awak Kuier (right wrist) and Li Yueru (left ankle) both out.
- How is Shepard playing? She ranks second in the WNBA in rebounding at 11.0 and fourth in assists at 5.9, and she is the only player averaging at least 10 points, 10 rebounds and 5 assists.
- What’s the matchup? Dallas, the league’s fourth-ranked defense, must contain a physical Sparks front line led by Nneka Ogwumike and Dearica Hamby.
- What’s next? The Wings visit the Sparks on Friday at Crypto.com Arena with tip-off set for 9 p.m. CT on ION.
LOS ANGELES — Jessica Shepard will carry a heavy interior load Friday, and the reigning WNBA Western Conference Player of the Week says the Dallas Wings will go as far as their defense takes them.
“I think defense is the key to the game because obviously we know that LA is a very talented team. They like to score in the paint,” Shepard said. “They have guards that can go off on any night, and they also have great post players.”
Jessica Shepard’s Historic Production
Shepard ranks second in the WNBA in rebounding at 11.0 and fourth in assists at 5.9, and she is the only player in the league averaging at least 10 points, 10 rebounds and 5 assists. The Player of the Week honor, for the week of May 25-31, was the first of her career and the first by a Wings player since 2023.
She opened the season with 18 points, 10 rebounds and 12 assists against Chicago, then delivered a May 28 line of 22 points, a career-high 20 rebounds and 10 assists that made her the first player in WNBA history to record at least 22 points, 20 rebounds and 10 assists in a game.
The Frontcourt Matchup With Los Angeles
She will shoulder more inside with the Wings down two bigs, forward Awak Kuier (right wrist) and center Li Yueru (left ankle) both out. Shepard singled out the Sparks’ veteran front line as the toughest challenge.
“Nneka has been one of the best players in the league for a very long time. And then Dearica is playing at an amazing level since going to LA,” Shepard said. “I think it’s their physicality and their ability to score at all three levels as post players.”
Nneka Ogwumike is averaging 15.7 points and 6.7 rebounds and recently passed Tamika Catchings for fifth on the WNBA’s career rebounding list, while Dearica Hamby leads the Sparks at 62.1% from the field. Coach Jose Fernandez framed the matchup as the team’s first priority.
“I think interiorly we have to do a really great job defending their post presence, number one,” Fernandez said.
Dallas counters as the WNBA’s fourth-ranked defense, fresh off holding Seattle to a season-low 56 points.
The Wings visit the Sparks on Friday at Crypto.com Arena with tip-off set for 9 p.m. CT on ION.
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