‘We Took Them Down To The Wire’: Without Paige Bueckers, Dallas Wings Refuse To Fold Against New York Liberty

ARLINGTON, Texas — The Dallas Wings‘ franchise-record six-game winning streak came to an end Monday night in a 99-98 overtime loss to the New York Liberty, dropping Dallas to 17-9.

Playing the second night of a back-to-back without Paige Bueckers and against one of the WNBA’s most talented rosters, Dallas pushed New York to the final possession.

Dallas Wings Turn to Bench Depth

The biggest storyline came before tip-off, when Paige Bueckers was ruled out with soreness despite clearing concussion protocol following a collision with Los Angeles Sparks center Nneka Ogwumike on Sunday. Bueckers, who is averaging 20.9 points, 4.2 rebounds, and 6.2 assists per game and has been pivotal in Dallas’ 10 clutch wins this season, left a noticeable void in the Wings’ offense.

Veteran guard Odyssey Sims stepped into the starting lineup and contributed 5 points and 2 rebounds, but it was Arike Ogunbowale who led the offense with 29 points, 5 rebounds, and 6 assists. Azzi Fudd added 15 points, and Jessica Shepard recorded 13 points, 16 rebounds, and 6 assists to tie Angel Reese for a league-leading 17 double-doubles this season.

“I was very proud of our group,” Wings coach Jose Fernandez said. “Paige is a very, very important part of our team. She’s one of the best players in the entire world. So for us to play without her … shows the type of character we have in the locker room.”

Bueckers still made her presence felt from the bench, staying on her feet through the fourth quarter and constantly communicating with teammates, coaches, and referees.

“That’s why she is who she is,” Fernandez said. “Ultimate professional. … Paige cares about team success. Paige cares about winning.”

New York Liberty Dominates the Glass

Dallas couldn’t keep New York off the offensive glass. The Liberty grabbed 17 offensive rebounds to Dallas’ 7, including 9 in the first half that they converted into a 16-2 advantage in second-chance points by halftime. Jonquel Jones grabbed 7 offensive boards on her way to a 14-point, 10-rebound double-double.

“The glass was very important,” Fernandez said. “They had 16 points off second-chance opportunities at halftime. That’s a big number. We could have done a much better job of that.”

Dallas answered after halftime with an 8-0 run to open the third quarter. Awak Kuier anchored the defense with four blocks as the Wings outscored the Liberty 21-9 in the period, building a game-high lead at 65-53 with under two minutes left. Dallas led 68-59 entering the fourth.

“We wanted to tighten up our defense and get more 50-50 balls and limit (the Liberty) to one shot,” Wings guard Azzi Fudd said. “I think we really executed that coming out of the half.”

New York Liberty Erase the Deficit to Force Overtime

But the momentum shifted in the fourth as the Wings scored just 15 points to the Liberty’s 24, allowing New York to erase the double-digit deficit and force overtime.

“I think we started to slow down a little,” Fudd said. “I think we stopped pushing pace as much, which is what we were really doing in the third. If we had just stuck with that, who knows? We just got away from what was really working for us.”

Dallas finished with 26 personal fouls to New York’s 17, and several whistles in the closing minutes of regulation drew visible frustration from the Wings’ bench.

“I think today was kind of bad, but we can’t really worry about that,” Wings guard Arike Ogunbowale said. “It’s hard not to worry about that, but we still just have to control what we can control and, I mean, we did have a lead and we kind of gave that up. (The officiating) was no help to anybody else, but also we didn’t help ourselves.”

Fernandez echoed that sentiment and commended his team’s composure.

“With a lot of things that happened today, I like how our team responded and how they, for the most part, tried to keep their composure,” Fernandez said. “They were tough, (there were) some really tough situations on both ends of the floor.”

Breanna Stewart finished with 33 points, 13 rebounds, 8 assists, and 2 blocks, and Sabrina Ionescu added 21 points, 4 rebounds, and 2 assists despite an inefficient shooting night. Ionescu scored 12 of those points in overtime, matching Dallas basket for basket down the stretch.

Arike Ogunbowale’s Late Push Comes Up Just Short

New York built a late lead in overtime before Ogunbowale buried a 3-pointer to cut the deficit to one with seconds remaining, giving Dallas a final chance after a defensive stop. The Wings advanced the ball with a timeout, but Ogunbowale’s final shot came up short as time expired.

“It’s a good challenge for us,” Ogunbowale said. “It was a back-to-back against a really good New York team, and we took them down to the wire.”

Dallas, now 17-9, wraps up the first half of the season at Portland on Wednesday before the WNBA All-Star break