Paige Bueckers scored 22 points and dished out 11 assists, Jessica Shepard added 21 points, nine rebounds and six assists, and the Dallas Wings beat the Portland Fire 96-78 on Tuesday night at College Park Center. Arike Ogunbowale scored 17 points, while Awak Kuier posted 12 points, 12 rebounds and five blocks for Dallas. Bridget Carleton and Karlie Samuelson each scored 14 points to lead Portland.
The victory clinched Dallas’ first WNBA playoff berth since 2023 and gave the Wings a franchise-record 23rd regular-season win. Dallas took control early and led 50-37 at halftime before extending the margin to 71-52 after three quarters. All five Wings starters finished in double figures, while Portland fell to 15-23 and was eliminated from playoff contention.
Bueckers also recorded her 23rd game with at least 20 points this season, moving into second place in Wings history for 20-point games in a single season. Kuier’s 12 rebounds marked a career high, and her five blocks helped Dallas control the defensive end. No additional quote is included because a sufficiently reliable postgame transcript was not available in the verified sources reviewed.
Dallas has five regular-season games remaining, beginning Aug. 30 against the Connecticut Sun at College Park Center, followed by the Sept. 17 return from the World Cup break against the Los Angeles Sparks. Portland’s next game is Aug. 28 at the Atlanta Dream, followed by an Aug. 30 road game against the Golden State Valkyries.
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