A noticeably frustrated Tierra McCowan entering the tunnel was the concluding sight of a season-opening loss for the Dallas Wings against the Minnesota Lynx. Under the direction of first-year head coach Chris Koclanes, Dallas was looking to bounce back on Monday evening hosting the Seattle Storm at the College Park Center in Arlington, TX. Fans filled the arena to witness Paige Bueckers take the stage for her second WNBA game and hopefully will the Wings to the first win on the season. Seattle would subsequently defeat the Dallas Wings by a final score of 79-71 securing the first win of the season while Dallas falls to 0-2.

Nneka Ogwumike led the Storm with 23 points, 19 rebounds, and 3 assists, while Skyler Diggins scored 21 points with 9 assists and 1 rebound. Gabby Williams added 17 points, 5 rebounds, 5 assists, and 3 steals to help advance the Storm to a victory.

Room For Improvement

With a new lineup this season that features the #1 overall pick in the draft, Paige Bueckers, Dallas appeared to create more ball movement within the offense. That may have been most apparent after closing out a very fast paced, physical first quarter with 9 assists and a 1-point lead. The momentum took a drastic shift in the second quarter where the Storm outscored the Wings 31-15 on the heels of a 13-point quarter from Skylar Diggins. Although down 56-41 at half, Bueckers had already tallied 11 points which surpassed her first game total.

Swing Of Momentum Not Quite Enough Despite Bueckers Leadership

As the second half began, Dallas entered the third quarter with an intensity on the defensive side of the ball not seen in previous minutes. Creating difficult shots for Seattle and executing offensive possessions with Bueckers as the primary ball handler, allowed the Wings to outscore the Storm 20-10 in the third quarter. At the start of the fourth quarter, both teams struggled offensively missing the first five shots of the quarter. After two back-to-back buckets by Ogwumike, the Storm’s lead stretched from three to seven. Setting up for a compelling finish, Dallas would ultimately lose momentum in the fourth and the Storm would seal the victory.

End Of My Paige Bueckers Rant

Bueckers proved why she was the first pick of the WNBA draft leading Dallas with 19 points, 8 assists, and 5 rebounds. Nalyssa Smith followed with 12 points and 4 rebounds, and Maddy Siegrist provided 12 points and 4 rebounds off the bench. Tierra McCowan who saw limited action in the first contest of the season scored 10 points and snatched 9 rebounds while playing stellar defense with 3 blocks. However, last year’s leading scorer Arike Ogunbowale, struggled from the field scoring only 2 points on 2-of-14 shooting,

Dallas’s next matchup is Wednesday where they travel to the Midwest to face off with the 2-0 Minnesota Lynx for their home opener. Seattle will have a three-day break before hosting their home opener against the undefeated Phoenix Mercury.