The Dallas Wings aim to carry their opening-game momentum into Tuesday’s home opener as they host the revamped Atlanta Dream in Arlington, Texas.
Dallas kicked off what could be their most exciting season since moving to the Dallas-Fort Worth area with a thrilling 107-104 road win over the Indiana Fever on Saturday. Arike Ogunbowale led the way with 22 points, while Paige Bueckers and Odyssey Sims each added 20. Jessica Shepard nearly posted a triple-double with 13 points, nine rebounds, and nine assists.
“Paige understands how defenses are playing her,” Dallas coach Jose Fernandez said. “Having coached against her and now seeing her up close, she processes plays two or three steps ahead—that’s remarkable.”
The Wings shot 59.1% from the field, hit 12 of 23 three-pointers, and piled up 25 fast-break points. Still, they needed a missed deep three from Fever star Caitlin Clark and two late missed free throws by Bueckers to seal the victory.
“It was great to start the season with a win,” said Fernandez, who earned his first win as Wings head coach. “I need to find ways to get more shots for players outside the core group. We’ll work on that. Our backcourt has five really talented players.”
Top overall pick Azzi Fudd made her WNBA debut for Dallas, scoring just three points with one steal in 18 minutes of action.
Atlanta also opened their season with a nail-biter, edging Minnesota 91-90 on the road Saturday. Allisha Gray scored 24 points, while Angel Reese contributed 11 points and a game-high 14 rebounds. Reese, acquired from Chicago in an offseason trade, also blocked a buzzer-beating attempt by Lynx center Emese Hof to secure the win in her first regular-season game with the Dream.
Naz Hillmon and Rhyne Howard each added 15 points for Atlanta, which outscored Minnesota by 16 in the second half to complete the comeback.
“It was a tough game for me,” Reese said of her performance. “But that’s what a team is—having teammates who always have your back, who lift you up even when you’re not playing your best, and who keep feeding you confidence. We just have to keep growing and improving because this wasn’t our best effort.”
Tuesday’s matchup is the first of three meetings between the teams this season. They will also face off in Atlanta on May 22 and back in Arlington on July 29.
