Indiana Fever Stymie Dallas Wings, 88-78

Paige Bueckers (No. 5) of the Dallas Wings dropped 22 points against the Indiana Fever at American Airlines Center on Friday, Aug. 1, 2025. (Photo: Dylan Nadwodny | The Podium Finish)

DALLAS — The Indiana Fever controlled the glass and got timely outside shooting from Kelsey Mitchell to defeat the Dallas Wings, 88-78, on Friday night at American Airlines Center, their fourth straight win.

Mitchell scored 23 points and hit three 3-pointers, while Natasha Howard collected 16 rebounds to go with 11 points. Aliyah Boston posted a double-double with 12 points and 11 rebounds, as Indiana (16-12) overpowered Dallas 44-30 on the boards and held the Wings to 13.3% shooting from beyond the arc.

Paige Bueckers led Dallas (8-21) with 22 points and four assists, while rookie Aziaha James added nine off the bench in an energetic effort that helped the Wings close the gap late but fall short again in another close loss.

The Fever built a 48-42 halftime lead behind a 26-20 second quarter sparked by offensive rebounding. Boston’s work inside and Mitchell’s perimeter scoring pushed Indiana’s lead to 11 heading into the fourth quarter.

Dallas struggled all night to generate offense beyond Bueckers’ shot creation. Afterward, she acknowledged how Indiana disrupted their perimeter rhythm.

“Yeah I think hunting them more in transition,” Bueckers said. “They did a really good job of blocking our actions and guarding the arc, guarding the three point line. So they made those more difficult. So I think getting a more in transition fighting off of their defense and their congestion.”

Despite the deficit, Dallas showed fight in the fourth behind James and Myisha Hines-Allen, cutting Indiana’s lead to seven with under four minutes left. Aari McDonald hit her fourth 3-pointer, and Howard’s putback sealed the win.

“It was a very physical game,” Bueckers said. “I thought we only matched it starting at the fourth quarter. So we can know that moving forward. To match that in all four quarters.”

James provided a spark off the bench, scoring on a sharp crossover in the second quarter and adding a corner 3 early in the fourth. Asked about her approach, she said, “Being that energetic rookie. You know, just do what I have to do. You know, trying to get the ball in the basket. So. Yeah.”

Aziaha James (No. 10) of the Dallas Wings supplied nine points off the bench against a surging Indiana Fever. (Photo: Dylan Nadwodny | The Podium Finish)

On staying ready despite inconsistent minutes, James added, “No. You just always got to stay ready. You never know what’s going to happen. You never know where’s the game is where the game is at. Who needs to be in the game? Just always got to stay ready.”

Indiana’s relentless rebounding proved decisive. Boston and Howard repeatedly won inside position, leading to 14 offensive rebounds. James said the Wings must improve their physicality: “Yeah. Just getting it getting to their body. Pushing back just not allowing them to, you know, gain a crowd and, you know, just get the rebound. So, you know, just us being more physical.”

Bueckers also praised Mitchell’s performance after defending her for stretches.

“She’s just one of the toughest people to guard in the league,” Bueckers said. “Her quickness and her ability to score at all three levels, and also her ability to not just relent, to tough defense and take the easy way out, but continue to fight through and get the ball, get to spots that she wants to get to. So overall, she’s just a tough guard.”

Despite the physicality of Friday night’s game and playing through visible discomfort late in the third quarter, Bueckers pointed to sheer will.

“Adrenaline,” she said. “Just the fact that you don’t soak on what happened in the past and just move forward with the present and try to continue to contribute to winning anyway.”

James noted the team’s focus on growth amid close defeats.

“Just watching film looking at our mistakes, see what we can do better in the next game,” she said. “Like you said, all of our games are right there, and it’s going to be like that for the rest of the season. So it’s just a matter of us taking pride and, you know, just finishing that finish line.”

Bueckers, who added that she was “fine” despite the knock, highlighted positives from Dallas’ recent stretch of narrow defeats.

Paige Bueckers (No. 5) notes how the Dallas Wings are on the up and up despite being a young squad. (Photo: Dylan Nadwodny | The Podium Finish)

“I think the fact that we’re competing in every single game that we play in and we’re just building reps, and we’re a very young team,” she said. “This is a just a new experience for a lot of us playing together learning and growing together.

“So to be able to get these reps and play in tight games and play with different lineups and have a lot of rookies out on the floor who are learning and growing together… I think it’ll only help us in the long run and make us better.”

Defense remained another focal point.

“Just to hold ourselves accountable to it,” Bueckers said. “To look in the mirror and say what you’re going to bring and what you’re going to do, so then you can hold each other accountable. But it’s just a will and desire to want to play and defend and take pride on that end of the floor.”

James looked ahead to Dallas’ upcoming games against the New York Liberty.

“Yeah. Just just getting recovery. Make sure we’re staying hydrated. Locking in with ourselves, stepping away from this for a little bit. But getting back to it watching the film and watching film from last game with New York and just doing what we have to do and just locking in players.”

Indiana, surging without Caitlin Clark for the sixth straight game, continues its playoff push as they continued their winning ways, defeating the Seattle Storm on Sunday, 78-74. Meanwhile, Dallas will try to regroup after another tight loss defined by rebounding woes and late execution lapses.

The Next Stop

Dallas’s retooled roster, with newcomer Diamond Miller, face off against the Liberty at Barclays Center in the Brooklyn, New York for a Tuesday night matchup at 7 p.m. ET.

Indiana Fever: By the Numbers

Aliyah Boston (No. 7) of the Indiana Fever posted a double-double against the Dallas Wings on Friday, Aug. 1, 2025, at American Airlines Center. (Photo: Dylan Nadwodny | The Podium Finish)

Dallas Wings: By the Numbers

Arike Ogunbowale (No. 24) tallied eight points and five assists for the Dallas Wings against the Indiana Fever. (Photo: Dylan Nadwodny | The Podium Finish)