‘Looked Like A Top Team’: Dallas Wings Survive Sky’s Early Push, Power Past Chicago 99-89 Behind Jessica Shepard Triple-Double, Li Yueru Adjustment

CHICAGO — The Dallas Wings weathered a rough opening quarter and a physical interior battle to pick up their second straight road win, defeating the Chicago Sky 99-89 on Wednesday night at Wintrust Arena to snap a six-game losing streak against Chicago and capture their first win in the city since the 2022 season.

Jessica Shepard recorded the third triple-double in Wings team history — and the first in the WNBA this season — tying her season high with 18 points on 6-of-7 shooting while adding a career-best 12 assists and 10 rebounds. Paige Bueckers tied for the game high with 24 points on 11-of-19 shooting, Arike Ogunbowale poured in 11 of her season-high 23 points in the fourth quarter, and rookie Azzi Fudd matched her career high with 12 points on 4-of-6 shooting and a perfect 2-of-2 from beyond the arc.

Li Yueru delivered the game’s biggest swing factor off the bench, finishing a plus-18 in 19 minutes with 7 points, 9 rebounds and 3 assists.

Yueru was the difference, head coach Jose Fernandez said after the game.

“She was a huge impact. Just tremendous,” Fernandez said. “Cardoso was getting everything that she wanted. She was tough to defend. Li changed the game defensively because at least she could push her out and wall up and also provide that resistance inside. We got stuff off the glass. I think it made Cardoso have to guard out on the perimeter because Li can stretch the floor. That opened up some things for our perimeter players to get downhill.”

Dallas shot 50% from the field (36-of-72) and 42.9% from beyond the arc (9-of-21), marking the second time this season the Wings have shot 50% or better from the floor. Led by Shepard’s 10 boards, Dallas won the rebounding battle 36-30 while also holding the advantage in second-chance points (13-8) and bench points (23-15).

Ogunbowale also etched her name into the record books. Her first assist of the game at the 9:24 mark of the first quarter brought her to 900 for her career, making her the fastest player in WNBA history to reach 4,500 points, 900 assists and 300 steals — accomplishing the feat in 229 games.

Kamilla Cardoso’s Early Dominance Forces Dallas Wings’ Hand

The opening quarter exposed a major matchup problem for Dallas. Kamilla Cardoso went to work immediately in the post, with the 6-foot-7 center carving up the Wings’ frontcourt and racking up 12 first-half points before the Wings finally adjusted. The contrast in styles was on full display early — Alanna Smith opened the scoring with a 3-pointer while being sagged off, only for Cardoso to answer by bullying her way to a finish at the rim on the other end.

Smith had spoken about the challenge Cardoso poses before tip-off.

“Just her sheer size is commanding on the floor,” Smith said pre-game. “Her ability to catch high, finish high and rebound creates a tough challenge for us, but I know our bigs are ready to step up.”

The Wings struggled to create advantages in the half-court for long stretches of the first quarter. Dallas trailed 12-7 with 4:53 remaining in the period, shooting just 2-of-10 from the floor and 1-of-4 from beyond the arc. Bueckers opened 1-of-5, including an air-balled short 2-pointer and a missed open 3, and lost the ball on a pick-and-roll possession when Skylar Diggins poked it loose.

Chicago’s on-ball defense provided a stiff test, with the Sky switching 1-4 to stifle Dallas’ actions. Rachel Banham converted a four-point play that capped a 10-0 Sky run and pushed Chicago’s lead to 22-11.

Maddy Siegrist had flagged Chicago’s transition speed as a primary concern at shootaround, and the Sky’s early pace reflected that scouting report.

“They play extremely fast in transition, so we’ve got to make sure we get back,” Siegrist said. “They have a lot of talent, so we’ve got to make sure we try to contain their players as best we can.”

A late-clock step-back 3 from Ogunbowale finally gave Dallas a spark, and Fudd added a short-range pull-up out of the corner on a Bueckers throw-ahead to cut the deficit to 22-16. Dallas trailed 22-16 after one quarter despite the rough shooting start, with Shepard and Fudd posting four points apiece while Ogunbowale and Smith corralled three rebounds each.

Li Yueru Shifts the Game

The turning point came midway through the second quarter when Fernandez called on Yueru. The 6-foot-7 center didn’t get on the floor as quickly as the Wings had hoped — the refs initially didn’t let her check in, and Cardoso punished the delay with a step-through finish in the post to push her total to 12.

Once Yueru entered, the difference was immediate. She helped spark an 8-0 run that cut the deficit to two, 32-30, with 3:39 left in the half. Cardoso was held scoreless during that stretch as Yueru provided the size to wall up and push Chicago’s star center out of her preferred spots.

Natasha Cloud brought the Sky’s lead back to four with a pair of free throws before an and-1 from Ogunbowale got Dallas within one, 34-33, with 2:02 left in the half. Bueckers — who started 1-of-5 — made her first two attempts in the second quarter and finished the half with a team-high nine points. The Wings shot 47.1% in the second quarter but went 0-of-3 from beyond the arc.

Chicago carried a 38-37 lead into the break, with Cardoso shooting 6-of-6 from the field for a game-high 12 points.

Despite the slim margin on the scoreboard, Fernandez was a lot that could have been executed better through the opening 20 minutes.

“It was a one-point game at the half, and I felt like we didn’t play very well in that first half,” Fernandez said.

Jessica Shepard Powers Historic Third Quarter

Ogunbowale had emphasized defense at shootaround as the key to the game, particularly against a Sky roster loaded with backcourt talent and physical posts.

“Defense. I think that’s the key for every game. Staying up in them,” Ogunbowale said pre-game. “They have some good guards. They have some physical posts, shot-blocking posts. So defense for sure, getting up in their guards, and then just executing, sharing the ball.”

Dallas leaned into exactly that formula coming out of the locker room. Shepard had 8 points, 6 rebounds and 5 assists in the third quarter as the Wings outscored Chicago 34-26, recording the second-most points by any WNBA team in a single quarter this season. The Wings shot 68.8% from the field (11-of-16), 60% from beyond the arc (3-of-5) and 9-of-11 from the free-throw line in the period.

Ogunbowale opened the second half with back-to-back mid-range jumpers, and her 19-footer 75 seconds into the third gave Dallas its first lead since the 7:29 mark of the first quarter. A full-court throw-ahead from Bueckers found Shepard, who connected with Smith on the trail for a transition layup.

Smith and Cardoso continued to battle physically on the interior, with Smith fighting to deny an entry pass before Cardoso eventually got it back for an and-1 finish on the move. Fernandez again turned to Yueru, who answered with her first 3-pointer of the season to give Dallas its largest lead of the game up to that point, 50-45, with 6:11 left in the third.

Bueckers settled into the game, playing off two feet for a floater, then knocking down a catch-and-shoot 2-pointer off a Shepard feed. Shepard followed with a spin-move and-1 of her own as the Wings strung together timely buckets to take a 71-64 lead into the fourth.

Shepard kept the focus on her reads when asked about the triple-double.

“I think just taking whatever the defense gave me, whether that was attacking the rim or finding the open player and sometimes helping Paige get off the ball a little and kind of run the offense,” Shepard said.

Fernandez credited Shepard’s international experience for her versatility as a creator.

“I think her experience, especially internationally and in Europe, being able to handle the ball and get it off the glass and start things without having to handle it to a point guard,” Fernandez said. “Her being able to play off the block and get into zoom actions and DHO actions, set screens and pop and get into space — I think the spacing and the system have helped her, but it’s her that’s translating it onto the floor.”

The triple-double was the second of Shepard’s career, joining her 22-point, 11-rebound, 10-assist effort against the Indiana Fever on Aug. 22, 2025.

Paige Bueckers, Arike Ogunbowale Slam the Door

Odyssey Sims struck first in the fourth quarter, just 18 seconds in, to push the Wings’ lead to nine, 73-64. Bueckers hit a tough mid-range pull-up to push the lead to 85-77, then got to the rim through contact on the next possession when Fudd’s weak-side pin-in action cleared out the help defense — extending the lead to 87-78 and pushing Bueckers’ total to 20 points.

A 6-0 Chicago run cut the lead to 87-84 with 2:32 left, with Cloud hitting two free throws to make it a three-point game. Ogunbowale answered with a 3-pointer 11 seconds later, then hit another with 1:42 remaining that made it 93-84, effectively putting the game away. The second triple came on a dribble handoff connection with Shepard. The Wings made 4-of-6 from beyond the arc in the fourth quarter to close it out.

Ogunbowale pointed to the team’s response after a sluggish first half.

“We closed it out really well. We looked like a top team in the league in that last fourth quarter,” Ogunbowale said. “We didn’t have a great first half, but we came out in the second half, made them call the first timeout and just put it down their throats. People on the bench came in and did what they’re supposed to do. I think we just stayed poised even when they made a little run. We got it back and just played really well in the fourth.”

Dallas finished with 28 assists on 36 made field goals, a clear demonstration of the ball movement that Bueckers credited after the game.

“I think we’re starting to get chemistry with each other, and that comes with repetition,” Bueckers said. “We’re in game five now, and I feel like we’re growing, learning each other and executing more every single game. We’re a really selfless team. We pass up good shots for great shots. When we get ball movement and player movement, we’re really tough to guard.”

That depth has been a theme since pre-game, when Smith pointed to the team’s collective firepower.

“We don’t have to rely on one player every night,” Smith said. “We have a lot of options and a lot of talent on this squad that every night someone else could go off. So that’s pretty exciting for us.”

Depth Powers Dallas Wings’ Identity

Bueckers credited the second unit for changing the momentum after her own slow start.

“Personally, I started off really rough, so I’m glad the bench came in and did their thing and built up the momentum for us to carry into the second half,” Bueckers said. “This team has depth. The depth is our superpower, and on any given night, anybody is willing and able to step up.”

Siegrist had identified ball movement as the through line connecting Monday’s 92-69 win over the Washington Mystics to Wednesday’s matchup, and the formula carried over.

“Just keep moving the ball, keep sharing the ball,” Siegrist said at shootaround. “I think good things happen when we share the ball and get out and run.”

Yueru was a focal point of the second-half adjustment, with Bueckers and Shepard combining with her on a series of handoffs and zoom actions that broke open the Sky’s drop coverage.

The second-year guard reserved her highest praise of the night for her veteran center.

“We knew their defense is largely drop coverage, so we were trying to attack that and look at those matchups,” Bueckers said. “Li and Jess and Lan and K did a really good job of getting us open. I thought Li had an amazing game. She was a plus-18 in 19 minutes, and we wouldn’t have won this game without her. For her to stay consistent in who she is, go through not playing and getting limited minutes, and still stay positive, be a great teammate, wait for her number to be called and show up like this and perform, I think along with these two, that’s the highlight of the game.”

Shepard echoed the sentiment about her frontcourt partner.

“I like playing with all of our post players. All of them bring something a little different,” Shepard said. “Tonight was Li’s night, and like Paige said, she’s done a great job of staying ready and came up huge for us tonight. I thought her defense was great today.”

Ogunbowale, when asked about her growth as a leader through the team’s early-season turnaround, pointed to the veterans around her.

“I think just trying to lead by example,” Ogunbowale said. “Especially this year, we have a lot of great vets — Jess, Alysha, Alanna. Paige is young, but she’s a good leader as well. Just trying to lead by example, do the little things. I don’t want to slack in defense, being aggressive there, being aggressive offensively, making the extra pass, being vocal and leading by example.”

Chicago Sky Notes

Cardoso finished with a season-high 24 points on 10-of-14 shooting and 11 rebounds — her second consecutive double-double and third this season — for the Sky (3-2). Cloud added 21 points and 8 rebounds in her Sky home opener against her former teammate, Diggins scored 15, and Gabriela Jaquez added 12 points. Chicago shot 47.8% overall and 23.8% from beyond the arc, outscoring the Wings in the paint 48-38.

Chicago played without Rickea Jackson, the team’s leading scorer at 18.0 points per game, who missed her first game following a season-ending ACL injury sustained Sunday in the Sky’s 86-79 win over Minnesota. The Sky also were without DiJonai Carrington (foot), Azura Stevens (knee) and Courtney Vandersloot (knee).

Smith had acknowledged the personal weight of Jackson’s injury before the game.

“First of all, sending love and prayers to Rickea,” Smith said pre-game. “I think it changes their lineup a lot. They’re a little bit smaller without Rickea, probably a little bit more heavy on the guard side of things as well. So just being able to adjust while they’re adjusting to losing one of their players.”

Bueckers spoke about her relationship with Cloud, a longtime mentor.

“Me and Tash are really close. I got to grow up watching her play in the DC area, so I’ve always been a huge fan of her game,” Bueckers said. “I’m really happy that she got this opportunity to play with the Chicago Sky. She deserves it. There’s a real mutual love and respect there.”

What’s Next for the Dallas Wings

The Wings continue their three-game road trip with a matchup against the Atlanta Dream on Friday at Gateway Center, with tip-off set for 6:30 p.m. CT on ION. Dallas and Atlanta met on May 12 in Texas, with the visiting Dream scoring a 77-72 win. The Wings then travel to face the New York Liberty before returning home for a game against the Las Vegas Aces.

Veteran forward Alysha Clark spoke pre-game about the mindset required to navigate the stretch.

“I think first things first is just focusing on the game that’s in front of us,” Clark said. “When you have this many games in this amount of days, it’s easy to start looking ahead and thinking, ‘Okay, we need to prepare for all of these.’ But it’s about making sure we’re staying focused on the game ahead of us. The biggest piece is making sure we’re doing our part to recover. These games come quick, so making sure we’re taking care of our bodies so we can get ready for the next one.”

Fernandez kept his message brief after the win.

“Just got to put this one behind you and get ready for Atlanta,” Fernandez said. “That’s the most important thing.”

More Wings Coverage on Dallas Hoops Journal

• ‘Controlling The Controllables’: Jessica Shepard Reflects On Dominant Double-Double For Dallas Wings vs. Washington Mystics
• Arike Ogunbowale Brushes Off ‘Chitter Chatter’ As Dallas Wings Show Standard vs. Washington Mystics
• ‘We Just Stayed Connected’: Paige Bueckers Breaks Down Dallas Wings’ Complete Two-Way Response vs. Washington Mystics
• ‘Flying Around And Covering’: Rebuilt Defense Sparks Dallas Wings’ 92-69 Blowout Of Washington Mystics
• Dallas Wings Prepare To ‘Match That Energy’ Against Washington Mystics In Duel Of Young Teams
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