Paige Bueckers (5) of the Dallas Wings shot an efficient 70% from the field, paving the way to a 85-70 win against the Phoenix Mercury at College Park Center on Thursday, June 11, 2026. (Photo: Mason Garcia | The Podium Finish)
ARLINGTON, Texas — Paige Bueckers scored a season-high 31 points on 14-of-20 shooting to lead the Dallas Wings to an 85-70 victory over the Phoenix Mercury on Thursday night.
The sophomore point guard added six rebounds and five assists while shooting 3-of-5 from 3-point range. Her offensive brilliance carried Dallas on a night when rookie Azzi Fudd scored 17 points, three rebounds, four assists, three blocks and a steal alongside Jessica Shepard’s seventh double-double of the 2026 WNBA season.
The victory served as an immediate bounce-back for the Wings following a difficult road loss against the Minnesota Lynx earlier in the week.
“Nights like tonight happen, but you can’t let it become a habit and let it become something that carries from game to game,” Bueckers said of responding to the previous defeat. “The fun thing about this league is we have a chance to respond in less than 48 hours. Flush this, and take it in, and know that we have to learn and get better and grow from it.”
The win kicks the second quarter of Dallas’ 2026 campaign, improving to 8-4 and 3-1 in this year’s WNBA Commissioner’s Cup play.
Dominating the Interior
Jessica Shepard (32) of the Dallas Wings tallied her seventh double-double of the 2026 WNBA season, just three assists shy of another triple-double. (Photo: Mason Garcia | the Podium Finish)
Dallas established a physical presence inside the paint early, outscoring the Mercury 50-32 in interior points. Shepard anchored the frontline with a double-double, recording 17 points, 10 rebounds and seven assists on 7-of-8 shooting.
The Wings took control of the glass, out-rebounding Phoenix 37-30 and limiting the Mercury to just seven offensive rebounds. Dallas head coach Jose Fernandez noted that the team’s ability to clear the defensive glass directly fueled their secondary break.
“We got out in transition when we rebounded and got it out,” Fernandez said. “The other night, we were getting it out of the net every time because Minnesota was scoring. We defended, we got it off the glass, and we were able to get out and run. We got some really good rim runs and some good drives to the basket.”
Phoenix hung around early in the first quarter behind the play of center Natasha Mack and guard Monique Akoa Makani. Mack opened the scoring for the Mercury with a driving hook shot. She went on to finish with eight points and three rebounds.
Dallas responded with an 11-4 run midway through the period, highlighted by an explicit off-ball design that allowed Fudd to score on a reverse layup assisted by Bueckers. Fudd finished the contest with 17 points, three assists and three blocks.
A late 3-pointer by Bueckers in the final 30 seconds of the opening frame gave Dallas a 24-20 advantage heading into the first intermission.
Bueckers Takes Over
Paige Bueckers (5) of the Dallas Wings found herself in the zone against the Phoenix Mercury. (Photo: Mason Garcia | The Podium Finish)
Bueckers completely dictated the tempo in the second quarter, hunting her mid-range spots and exploiting the deep drop coverages utilized by the Phoenix interior defenders. She scored 24 of her 31 points before the halftime buzzer, including a highly efficient stretch of perimeter shot-making that extended the Dallas advantage.
“There is a comfort level to her,” Fernandez said of his point guard’s performance. “When she gets going, it’s easy for me to put her in spots at the elbow, at the nail, post her up. That’s why she’s one of the best in the world.”
Despite the defensive focus shifting directly toward her, Bueckers remained disciplined within the flow of the offense, committing only two turnovers across 32 minutes of action.
“As a hooper, sometimes you kind of get into a flow state,” Bueckers explained. “Everything you shoot kind of feels good, but again, it’s just a credit to my teammates just screening, getting me open, feeding the hot hand. To be able to play on a team that’s so selfless that looks to the open players, that looks to the hot player on any given night, it’s really fun to play that way.”
Phoenix attempted to counter through reserve guard Lexi Held, who provided a massive spark off the bench. Held shot 6-of-10 from the field, including three 3-pointers, to finish with a team-high 17 points for the Mercury.
A late 3-pointer from Held in the closing minute of the first half brought Phoenix within single digits, trailing 45-36 at the break.
Overcoming Injury, Sustaining Defense
Paige Bueckers nearly had a scary moment with her right ankle before finishing the night strong for a Dallas Wings victory over the Phoenix Mercury. (Photo: Mason Garcia | The Podium Finish)
Inside the final 3:15 of the second quarter, Bueckers briefly went to the locker room after suffering a right ankle injury during a rebounding sequence. She returned to the bench shortly after with the joint taped and checked back into the game without losing her offensive rhythm.
“I kind of just rolled, kind of gave out a little bit on a rebound,” Bueckers said after the game. “That’s why I don’t be rebounding. But no, I mean once it rolls, it rolls right back, so just had to go in the back and get taped. Adrenaline is the best drug, so I didn’t really feel it during the game. Just wanted to power through, help the team get a win.”
Defensively, the Wings completely synchronized their coverages to disrupt the Mercury’s primary creators. Alyssa Thomas neared a triple-double with six points, nine rebounds and 10 assists, but the Dallas frontline forced her into six turnovers and a 3-of-8 shooting performance. Phoenix guard Kahleah Copper was held to 13 points on 3-of-10 shooting.
Fernandez pointed to the team’s discipline against a physical Mercury offense that was concluding a four-game road trip.
“I thought we did a good job keeping them in front of us, and our help areas were really good,” Fernandez said. “When we got to the blocks and the elbows, I thought we loaded up really, really well.”
Dallas closed the third quarter on an 8-4 run, capped by a driving reverse layup from Alanna Smith that extended the margin to 70-52. Smith, playing through facial discomfort while wearing a custom protective mask for a healing nasal fracture, finished with two points and five rebounds in 16 minutes off the bench.
Closing Out the Victory
Aziaha James (10) of the Dallas Wings had a team-high three steals against the Phoenix Mercury, often converting those opportunities into points. (Photo: Mason Garcia | The Podium Finish)
The Mercury made one final push in the fourth quarter behind veteran forward DeWanna Bonner, who contributed nine points, seven rebounds and three steals. Bonner scored on a fastbreak layup following a Dallas turnover to trim the deficit to 80-70 with 1:28 left in regulation.
Fernandez utilized his remaining timeouts to settle the execution, turning back to his interior passing hub. Out of the stoppage, center Li Yueru scored on a reverse layup off an assist from Alysha Clark to stall the Phoenix momentum. Sophomore guard JJ Quinerly added an 11-foot pull-up jumper in the final seconds to cement the 15-point margin.
The Wings finished the game shooting 52.1% from the field as a team while dishing out 24 total assists.
Dallas will immediately head to the airport for a road matchup against the Portland Fire, beginning a grueling stretch of the schedule that features upcoming contests against the Las Vegas Aces and the Golden State Valkyries.
“Short-term memory, got to get on a plane and go to Portland,” Fernandez said. “Turn around, get back, and you’ve got Vegas. And then finish the Cup with Golden State and Chicago at home.”
