“We’re Still Growing”: Dallas Wings Fall to Seattle Storm Despite Second-Half Rally, Paige Bueckers’ 19 Points

The Dallas Wings nearly erased a 17-point deficit but came up short in a 79-71 loss to the Seattle Storm on Monday night at College Park Center. Despite a dominant second-half defensive effort and standout performances from Paige Bueckers and Maddy Siegrist, the Wings dropped to 0-2 on the season.

Bueckers led the way with 19 points, eight assists, five rebounds, two steals, and a block in 37 minutes. She was one of four Wings players in double figures, joined by Siegrist (12 points), NaLyssa Smith (12), and Teaira McCowan (10 points, nine rebounds, three blocks in 19 minutes) — who bounced back after being held scoreless in the season opener against Minnesota.

“We’re still growing,” Bueckers said postgame. “We’re just trying to find a level as a team of competitive spirit. I think that’s growing from game to game. We carry it for quarters, and then we have lapses… We’ve done a good job fighting back in those situations, but we’ve got to figure out how to minimize those mental lapses and really play an entire 40 minutes together.”

Strong Start, Seattle Storm Surge

Dallas opened with poise, taking a 26-25 lead after the first quarter. Bueckers scored seven points early, and McCowan brought a much-needed presence off the bench — rebounding, protecting the rim, and scoring in her first two minutes on the floor.

“Just proud of her for making the most of her opportunity and impacting this team in a positive way when her number was called,” head coach Chris Koclanes said of McCowan. “We needed a spark, and she came in and was fantastic. And again, I just am preaching that if you come in and play with that positive energy, and you play hard, good things are going to happen. And I think you saw that with T tonight.”

But Seattle dominated the second quarter, outscoring Dallas 31-15 behind a 6-of-7 performance from three. Nneka Ogwumike controlled the paint, Skylar Diggins-Smith created separation off pick-and-rolls, and Gabby Williams attacked downhill and in transition.

Ogwumike finished with 23 points, 19 rebounds, and two steals on 9-of-16 shooting. Diggins-Smith added 21 points and nine assists, while Williams filled the stat sheet with 17 points, five rebounds, and five assists on 7-of-10 shooting.

“If we’re going to compete night in and night out in this league, it’s going to take a level of hard work and effort that we have within us but hasn’t been demanded of us consistently,” Koclanes said. “We’re working to establish that here, and we will get that night in and night out.”

Defense Fuels Second-Half Push for Dallas Wings

The Wings regrouped after halftime and responded with urgency, holding Seattle to just 10 points on 29.4% shooting and no made threes in the third quarter. An 11-0 run led by Bueckers and Siegrist brought Dallas back within striking distance.

Siegrist, who scored 12 points on 5-of-10 shooting, drained two 3-pointers and converted a short jumper to cut the Storm lead to 66-63 early in the fourth. But Seattle responded with an 8-0 run that included a Diggins-Smith floater and Ogwumike’s second-chance finish.

“I think personally like live-ball turnovers, I think as a team too, we had a run of a couple string of turnovers when we could have like really pushed through the lead and maybe even got it to zero or took the lead,” Bueckers said. “So I think live-ball turnovers, and then just hunting shots more, hunting the paint more to create open opportunities for myself and my teammates. And then just continue to find my voice as a leader on the team.”

Despite holding Seattle scoreless for nearly four minutes late in the fourth quarter, Dallas couldn’t convert on the other end. The Wings shot just 4-of-19 from three (21.1%) and committed 14 turnovers.

“We take the best shot available,” Koclanes said when asked about the lack of free throws and perimeter struggles. “So if that’s a three or a two, trust your teammate, trust the play, make the simple play. And when you’re open, shoot it.”

Dallas Wings Adjust to Defensive Pressure on Bueckers

Seattle trapped Bueckers regularly throughout the night, forcing the rookie to give up the ball or create quickly off double teams. While she still finished with a game-high eight assists, Bueckers acknowledged the challenge of those coverages.

“It’s probably smart just to blitz and get the ball out of my hands,” she said. “And just trying to adjust offensively to how to counteract the trap — maybe touch it and get off it, maybe less ball screens, me screening for others, attacking in transition. It’s just a different look that defenses are throwing at me, which is an adjustment. So just continue to learn and work through that.”

Even with defensive attention ramping up, Bueckers showed no signs of fatigue and welcomed her extended minutes.

“I’m feeling good. I want to be on the court for all 40 if it were up to me,” she said. “I’m cool with the four that I sat.”

Supporting Arike Ogunbowale and Spreading the Load

Dallas shot just 4-of-19 from beyond the arc (21.1%), and has yet to score more than 26 points in any quarter this season. Koclanes emphasized the need for improved physicality around the rim and cleaner execution.

“I think we can be tougher around the rim,” he said. “You’ll get more calls if you put your chin right to the square and go high off the glass. It’s hard when you give up a 30-point quarter — you’re taking the ball out of the hoop the whole time. We weren’t very good in the open floor tonight. The offense is going to continue to get better every night just with our familiarity and more and more games together.”

Arike Ogunbowale, Dallas’ leading scorer last season, was held to six points on 2-of-14 shooting and has struggled through the first two games. Koclanes reaffirmed his trust in her scoring ability while noting the need to impact games in other ways.

“Just continue to coach her and empower her to be aggressive while also playing within our structure,” he said. “The more she can impact the game even when the ball isn’t going in, the more she’s going to help this team.”

Myisha Hines-Allen added six assists while serving as a secondary ball-handler, allowing the Wings to move Bueckers off the ball and vary their looks.

“We’ve got lots of versatility and Myisha is a really good facilitator,” Koclanes said. “She sees it well, and it can take a load off. That’s a strength of hers.”

Leadership and Growing Chemistry

Siegrist has stepped into a vocal leadership role early in her second season. Her consistent production and steady effort off the bench have helped stabilize the Wings’ rotations.

“Just trying to be consistent. If you can do it for one or two nights, that’s not enough,” Siegrist said. “We play 44 games — got 42 more to go.”

Her developing chemistry with Bueckers has already become a focal point of Dallas’ offense. The two operated together in multiple second-half sets, using pick-and-pops and cutting action to generate clean looks.

“Maddy’s extremely easy to play with,” Bueckers said. “She’s very smart and can shoot from all three levels. The more reps we get, the better our chemistry gets.”

Their comfort stems in part from college systems that prioritized spacing and reads — Villanova for Siegrist, UConn for Bueckers.

“We both came from systems in college — kind of like five-out — so it’s kind of cool to play together now,” Siegrist said. “Obviously the two-man was working tonight. It’s a lot better playing with each other than against each other.”

Looking Ahead: Minnesota Lynx Rematch

Now 0-2, the Wings begin a four-game road trip Wednesday against the 2-0 Minnesota Lynx — the same team that beat them 99-84 in the season opener behind a dominant third quarter. That game marked Bueckers’ WNBA debut and saw Napheesa Collier and Courtney Williams combine for 49 points.

This time, the game will be in Minneapolis, just minutes from Bueckers’ hometown of Hopkins.

“It’ll be fun to play in my hometown, but regardless of location or opponent, the focus is on us,” she said.

Koclanes is eager to see how the team responds with adjustments.

“We just played ’em, so we’ll be familiar with a lot of their actions,” he said. “We have an opportunity to go and not let Courtney Williams and Fee do what they did to us here. So it’ll be fun to see if we can step up to the challenge and find our disruption.”

Beyond the court, Siegrist believes the road trip could help this new-look group gel faster.

“The better relationships you have off the court, it usually translates,” she said. “You remember the airports, going to eat — those moments matter too.”

More Dallas Wings Articles

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• “Build on the Foundation”: Dallas Wings Adjust in Practice as Luisa Geiselsöder Joins Ahead of Seattle Storm Game
• “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
• Luisa Geiselsöder Eager for Dallas Wings After Long-Awaited WNBA Opportunity
• “It’s So Surreal”: Paige Bueckers Reacts to Hopkins Renaming Itself in Her Honor
• “Just Trying to Grow Each Game”: Paige Bueckers Embraces Point Guard Role for Dallas Wings

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