‘We’re Growing’: Dallas Wings Fall to Atlanta Dream as Naz Hillmon’s Clutch Three Seals Back-and-Forth Battle
Naz Hillmon knocked down a go-ahead 3-pointer with 2.6 seconds remaining — her fifth of the night — to lift the Atlanta Dream to an 88–85 win over the Dallas Wings on Wednesday night at College Park Center.
In a matchup featuring 22 lead changes and 14 ties, both teams traded punches until the final seconds. Hillmon, who scored 12 of her career-high 21 points in the fourth quarter, delivered the dagger for Atlanta (16–11), snapping Dallas’ two-game winning streak.
The Wings trailed 26–21 after the first quarter before evening the score by halftime, 45–45. A strong bench-led third quarter pushed Dallas ahead 64–62 entering the fourth, but Atlanta caught fire down the stretch. Hillmon scored 12 points in the final frame, including three 3-pointers, as the Dream outscored Dallas 26–21 in the fourth to seal the win.
“Shot-making down the stretch — we just have to be better defensively,” Wings head coach Chris Koclanes said. “That’s our next step: getting stops late in games. As Luisa said, it starts with individual one-on-one pride and an elite level of communication.”
Bueckers Hits Milestone, Builds Chemistry in Fourth-Quarter Push
Paige Bueckers led the Wings with 21 points on 8-of-20 shooting, along with seven assists, two rebounds, and a steal. She became the fastest player in more than two decades — 22 games — to reach 400 points and 100 assists in a season, a feat last accomplished by Cynthia Cooper in 1997.
“My teammates were doing a really good job of screening and getting me open,” Bueckers said. “They played mostly drop the entire game, so if I got a little bit of advantage — and the posts were hitting threes — it kind of forced them to have to play to that, which opened up the lane.”
Bueckers scored nine points in the fourth quarter and briefly gave Dallas a one-point lead with a strong and-one finish. But her contested jumper at the buzzer missed short after Hillmon’s triple gave Atlanta the lead.
“I saw that they were switching everything,” she said. “Didn’t really get separation on anything, so just tried to put something up at the rim.”
As Dallas continues to re-establish continuity, Bueckers noted how repetition is helping chemistry build across the roster.
“It’s difficult, having people in and out of the lineup,” she said. “But it’s nice now to get some consistency. With repetition, chemistry builds.”
The rookie also spoke about expanding her offensive balance: “I do feel like I can get to the paint and rim more, draw contact, and get to the free throw line. But I’ve always loved my midrange jump shot, and I don’t think that’ll ever change.”
“Footwork is something I’ve worked on since I was little,” Bueckers added. “It’s a fundamental that’s kind of underrated but so important. It’s something I’ve continued to work on my entire basketball life.”
Frontcourt Chemistry Grows as Geiselsöder, Jones Shine
Luisa Geiselsöder scored 13 points on 5-of-9 shooting, including 3-of-5 from beyond the arc, and added four rebounds and two assists. Haley Jones added 12 points, three rebounds, and three assists on 5-of-8 shooting, continuing to serve as a key connector in both big and small lineups.
“It’s helping us figure out how we all move and how to play off each other,” Geiselsöder said. “The balance is important — knowing when to read off each other and when to run a set.”
She credited her teammates for building her confidence: “Them telling me to shoot — even if I have one or two off nights. Just to keep believing in my shot. I know I can make them, so every shot is a new opportunity.”
Geiselsöder also praised the backcourt for creating quality looks: “It’s fun to play with them. Paige is an elite guard. She draws a lot of attention, and we can definitely use that. Her midrange is really good — I want her to keep taking those. And same with Re. Just having fun out there.”
Jones hit a deep 38-foot 3-pointer late in the fourth to beat the shot clock and gave Dallas a brief 77–76 edge.
“Arike gave me a good kickout, and honestly, I wasn’t expecting it,” Jones said. “It kind of bounced off my hands, so I grabbed it and saw there were about four seconds left. DiJonai was yelling at me to shoot it. I just lined it up and figured if it was on target, I had a good chance.”
Koclanes praised Jones’ versatility and defensive poise, particularly when defending larger players.
“Haley’s smart, savvy, and good with angles,” he said. “Her quickness is her strength in those matchups. She can pull the chair, poke at the ball, and trust help behind her. She moves her feet well and doesn’t back down.”
Carrington Answers the Call as Quinerly Exits Early
Dallas lost JJ Quinerly early due to a leg-related issue that limited her to 16 minutes. She finished with five points, two assists, and two rebounds. The Wings turned to DiJonai Carrington to fill the gap — and she delivered.
Carrington posted eight points, three rebounds, three assists, and one block in 25 minutes off the bench, helping Dallas maintain its edge in second-unit production.
“[DiJonai] brings an energy that’s different from anyone else,” Koclanes said. “She puts pressure on the rim and was efficient around the basket tonight. That energy is contagious — for the team and the crowd. They feed off her and believe in her. We need that version of her consistently.”
With rotation decisions continuing to evolve, Koclanes added, “It’s never personal. It’s just the flow of the game. There are 200 minutes to go around, and it’s tough. No one’s ever going to be fully happy with playing time. These are decisions I have to make to try and put the team in the best position to win.”
Li Yueru added seven points and three rebounds in 12 minutes, going a perfect 3-of-3 from the field.
Late Breakdown Overshadows Strong Shooting Night
Dallas led 64–62 entering the fourth but was outscored 26–21 in the final period. The Dream shot 11-of-18 (61.1%) from the field in the quarter, including three Hillmon triples, while limiting Dallas to just three field goals in the final 2:30.
“It ended with a post-to-post screen that we would’ve liked to switch to keep bodies on bodies,” Koclanes said of the final play. “A little slippage, a little space — and that’s all she needs. Credit to Nas for stepping up.”
Allisha Gray had 15 points and seven assists for Atlanta, while Brionna Jones scored 14 points on 6-of-10 shooting. Te-Hina Paopao added 11 points and eight rebounds. The Dream shot 52.4% overall and 42.3% from 3-point range (11-of-26), while outrebounding Dallas 32–24.
“Too many opponents have scored in double figures,” Geiselsöder said. “Someone’s always having a franchise night against us, and that should annoy us — it does — but we need to show that on the court.”
“Sometimes our pick-and-roll defense isn’t tough or aggressive enough. Then in one-on-one situations, we’re getting beat and have to rotate,” she added.
Koclanes echoed the defensive concerns: “It starts with keeping people in front — being strong at the point of attack. If you don’t, it puts too much pressure on help defense. Our help defense needs to be in early, so we can recover out to shooters with urgency.”
“We scrambled a lot tonight,” Jones added. “We need better on-ball defense — not just one-on-one, but working through screens, getting into rotations quicker.”
Koclanes didn’t sugarcoat the result.
“This one doesn’t feel good. BG goes out, they’re missing their starting point guard — we needed to take advantage,” he said. “That said, it shows our resilience and growth. Our offense is in a better place. Now our defense needs to come along with it.”
What’s Next
The Wings finished the game shooting 50% from the field (34-of-68), 50% from beyond the arc (11-of-22), and 75% at the line (6-of-8), while committing just eight turnovers and recording 21 assists.
Despite the late struggles, Koclanes emphasized the team’s progress and roster-wide contributions.
“We’ve done it a variety of ways with different combinations,” he said. “Our identity is our competitive depth. Everyone can contribute on any night.”
Dallas will close out its four-game homestand on Friday night at American Airlines Center against Caitlin Clark and the Indiana Fever in “A Night in Dallas: The Sequel.” Tipoff is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. CT with national television coverage on ION.
More Dallas Wings News & WNBA Rumors
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- WNBA Rumors: WNBA Trade Idea Pairs Dallas Wings Forward with Caitlin Clark on Indiana Fever
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