‘We Probably Would Have Folded’: Dallas Wings’ Growth Shows In WNBA-Best 10th Clutch Win Over Los Angeles Sparks

ARLINGTON, Texas — The Dallas Wings set a new franchise record with their sixth consecutive win Sunday, holding off the Los Angeles Sparks 90-82 in front of a sold-out College Park Center.

While the Sparks entered the matchup outside the league’s playoff picture and the Wings sat among the WNBA’s top four teams, the game was competitive.

Wings Survive Sparks’ Third-Quarter Rally

Dallas watched a six-point halftime lead quickly shrink in the second half before responding with the late-game execution that has become a defining characteristic during its winning streak.

“Every game is important,” veteran Wings guard Odyssey Sims said after the game. “Whether it’s a top four or five team…the biggest thing for us is approaching every game like we’re playing the best team in the league.”

Dallas has placed emphasis on starting strong, particularly during the first five minutes of the first quarter and the first five minutes coming out of halftime. Dallas fulfilled those first-quarter expectations Sunday, holding a 27-17 lead while shooting an efficient 53% from the field, 50% from three, and 100% from the free-throw line.

The Sparks gradually chipped away behind efficient pick-and-roll defense and strong interior play from Dearica Hamby and Nneka Ogwumike. Los Angeles also found success against a Wings lineup featuring just two starters early in the second quarter, before Paige Bueckers and Jessica Shepard checked back into the game at the 8:29 mark.

But even with almost their entire starting lineup back in the game, Dallas struggled to create consistent offense and limit turnovers, shortening their lead to 46-40 at halftime.

The third quarter followed a familiar script, with the Sparks eventually erasing Dallas’ lead entirely. But rather than unraveling as they might have earlier this season, the Wings settled in during the fourth quarter, where they often shine, relying on timely baskets from Sims and guard Arike Ogunbowale to regain and maintain control.

“Sometimes our third quarters are a little slow,” Sims said. “But we eventually pick it up. So (we’re going to) continue continuing to work on that. We’re aware of it…but we’re still growing. We’re still learning each other and continuing to help each other along the way.”

Bueckers Exits Late, But Wings Close It Out

Bueckers began showcasing her late-game heroics once again, as she poured in 13 fourth-quarter points. But with just over three minutes remaining, Bueckers went down following a hard collision with Ogwumike, briefly silencing the sold-out crowd.

Following this, Dallas regrouped, and Sims attacked the basket for a crucial score to stretch the Wings’ lead back up to six, before she and Ogunbowale helped the Wings close out another tight contest with multiple timely baskets.

“We needed a bucket to kind of seal the game,” Sims said. “I came in, I just wanted to maintain. The main thing was keeping the lead, and not turning it over.”

Ogunbowale said the team’s ability to execute late has become one of its biggest strengths.

“Our fourth quarters have kind of been our best quarters,” she said. “We seem to be able to lock in on defense and get scores when it matters, so hopefully we can continue that.”

Sims, Fernandez Point To Growth In Crunch Time

Sunday’s win marked Dallas’ league-leading 10th clutch win of the season, a stark departure from the group’s struggles to close out games earlier in the year.

“If this was the first 10 games or so, the (other) team would have made a run and we probably would have folded, probably would have had loose ball turnovers and probably would have lost,” Sims said. “Now, as we continue in the middle of the season, and as we get toward the end, you guys can see the growth. We haven’t been panicking in those clutch markets. We know what to do.”

Wings coach Jose Fernandez echoed that sentiment, pointing to the close losses Dallas suffered earlier this season as pivotal to the team’s development.

“Sometimes you’ve got to lose some of those games to learn a lot about yourself that’s going to help you down the road,” Fernandez said. “Now 25 games in, you’re seeing people relying on each other, being comfortable… no matter if we’re up or down, it’s our quarter.”

Shepard, Bench Provide Balance Behind Bueckers, Ogunbowale

Bueckers once again led the Wings offensively, recording her seventh game this season with at least 25 points and five assists, the most by any WNBA player this year despite exiting late with an injury. Ogunbowale was right behind her with 20 points of her own.

Shepard continued her outstanding season, posting her 16th double-double, the second-most in the WNBA behind Angel Reese.

The Wings also received key contributions from their bench throughout the afternoon, including 7 points and 6 assists from Sims, 5 points from Aziaha James, and 4 points, 4 rebounds, and 2 blocks from Li Yueru. Fernandez said that production has become increasingly important as Dallas enters a stretch of three games in four days.

“I thought honestly (the bench) gave us some really good minutes,” Fernandez said. “From a playmaking standpoint, and getting the ball where we need to get to and getting (Bueckers) to play off the ball. We needed to get some contribution from our bench with those three games in four days.”

For a team that spent the first half of the season searching for ways to finish close games, Sunday’s win was the latest proof of how much has changed: Dallas is no longer just hoping to survive clutch situations but expecting to control them.