Azzi Fudd came off the bench to spark the Dallas Wings, and Paige Bueckers delivered a crisp playmaking night as Dallas took control in a 92-69 win over the Washington Mystics in Dallas on Monday night, with Jessica Shepard dominating the glass and Arike Ogunbowale chipping in key scoring.
The final score left little doubt as Dallas improved to 2-2 and claimed its first home victory after two early setbacks. Fudd, the top draft pick, supplied a season-high 12 points in reserve while Bueckers finished with 18 points and seven assists, setting the tone for a balanced Wings attack.
Arike Ogunbowale offered a steady 16 points and Jessica Shepard put up a relentless stat line with 12 points, 16 rebounds and six assists, giving Dallas the physical presence it needed. That combination of scoring and rebounding made it hard for Washington to find a response for long stretches.
Dallas punished the Mystics for miscues, collecting 23 points off Washington’s 18 turnovers, and stretched the lead to as much as 25 points. When a team converts turnovers into easy points, momentum shifts quickly and the Wings rode that wave all night.
Shepard’s board work was a standout, matching the league’s single-game high for rebounds this season and turning long possessions into second-chance opportunities. Bueckers was a sniper from deep, hitting 4 of 5 from three, while the rest of the rotation combined to make seven of 19 attempts from beyond the arc.
The decisive stretch came late in the third quarter when Dallas closed on a 19-6 run to open a 66-46 gap, and they carried that burst into the fourth. The Wings kept pressure on by scoring seven of the first nine points of the final period to push the lead to 73-48 and put the game out of reach.
Washington had bright spots, with Shakira Austin leading the Mystics with 12 points and Lauren Betts adding 11 off the bench in a useful reserve boost. Kiki Iriafen also chipped in nine points and pulled down 10 rebounds, but the Mystics could not string enough stops together to stem the tide.
Maddy Siegrist provided an efficient 10 points off the bench for Dallas, and the team’s ball movement was evident as they recorded 20 or more assists for the third time in four games. That kind of distribution makes the offense harder to guard and opens up looks across the roster.
Bench depth became a clear difference-maker, with role players stepping up at key moments to keep the pressure on Washington. Having reliable scoring and defensive effort from the second unit allowed Dallas to rest starters without losing momentum.
Bueckers’ playmaking paired with Fudd’s energy showed how the Wings can get a lift without sacrificing cohesion, and coach rotations leaned into that mix. When young talent like Fudd can produce meaningful minutes, it bodes well for the team’s rotation flexibility down the road.
Defensively, Dallas attacked the glass and contested shots at the rim, habits that fed a steady stream of possessions and points in transition. Shepard’s rebounding was especially timely, turning defensive stops into offensive chances that the Wings often converted.
Washington’s struggles were concentrated around turnovers and streaks where scoring dried up, and those lapses allowed Dallas to turn single plays into multi-possession swings. The Mystics will need cleaner execution and fewer giveaways to compete in tighter games moving forward.
For Dallas, this win is a momentum builder before a three-game road trip that starts Wednesday in Chicago, a stretch that will test the Wings away from the home crowd. The team will look to carry its balanced scoring, strong glass work and bench contributions onto the road.
Washington heads north to Seattle for the first of back-to-back games against the Storm on Sunday, a chance to reset and shore up the turnover issues that hurt them in Dallas. Short turnarounds demand quick adjustments and cleaner execution, and the Mystics will get a shot at both this weekend.
