SAN FRANCISCO — Jessica Shepard is listed as probable for Monday night. The Dallas Wings forward has missed the last two games with a right ankle injury.
Dallas closes a two-game road trip against the Golden State Valkyries at 9 p.m. CT at Chase Center. Azzi Fudd is out with a right knee injury. Aziaha James is out with a lower left leg injury and did not travel with the team.
Jessica Shepard, Azzi Fudd Both Work At Dallas Wings Shootaround
Three rotation players out recently have pushed Wings coach José Fernández to hunt matchups more and to look positionally at which rotations work on each end.
“Shepard went through some things today at shootaround,” Fernández said before Friday’s game at Gainbridge Fieldhouse. “I mean, she’s continuing to recover from that ankle injury. Azzi went through shootaround today and her matrix, so she’s progressing as well.”
“As this road trip continues and we get back — Indiana at home — we’ll see how our medical team and our strength and conditioning folks continue to evaluate Azzi in her return-to-play protocol,” Fernández continued. “And Aziaha is not on this trip, so we’ll have an update from her when we return.”
Shepard injured the ankle Aug. 9 during a 103-90 loss at the Minnesota Lynx. She sat out the Aug. 12 win over the Toronto Tempo. Friday’s 98-87 loss at the Indiana Fever was the second game she has missed in 2026, and she had started each of Dallas’ first 33.
Through those 33 starts, Shepard averaged 14.2 points and 11.4 rebounds. She added 5.2 assists per game and shot 58.6% from the field.
Azzi Fudd Misses Fifth Straight Game For Dallas Wings
Fudd last played Aug. 5 against the Washington Mystics. She went through warmups before the Aug. 7 home game against Golden State, felt soreness in the knee and did not play. Monday will be her fifth straight absence and her sixth of the season.
Losing Fudd changes what Dallas can do on both ends. She defends, stretches the floor and creates off the bounce.
“I think right now we’re in a return-to-play protocol,” Fernández explained on Aug. 12. “We have an incredible collaboration with not only the staff, the front office, our data scientists, our strength and conditioning, our sports medicine. So the most important thing is her health and her return to play and her longevity.”
In 30 games with 24 starts, Fudd has averaged 13.1 points, 1.7 rebounds and 1.8 assists. The No. 1 overall pick is shooting 45.6% from the field and 39.7% from 3-point range.
Aziaha James Stays Behind As Dallas Wings Finish Road Trip
James suffered the injury against Toronto while she attempted to take a charge. Dallas ruled her out for the rest of that night. She was added to the status report the following day.
Three days before the injury, James scored a season-high 19 points at Minnesota. She shot 7-of-10 from the field and grabbed 6 rebounds off the bench. Through 33 games, she has averaged 6.2 points, 2.4 rebounds, and 1.2 assists.
The absences opened minutes for Alanna Smith, Awak Kuier, Maddy Siegrist, Alysha Clark and Li Yueru.
“But we’re shorthanded today,” Fernández said after the Toronto game. “I was very, very proud with what this group did. With Azzi out, with Shep out, and Aziaha going down for us to close out.”
Smith played 33 minutes that night and finished with 13 points, 11 rebounds and 4 assists on 5-of-7 shooting. Kuier blocked three shots Friday in Indianapolis, which moved her into a tie with Teaira McCowan atop the Wings’ career blocks list at 103. Clark was questionable with a back injury on Aug. 12 and has since come off the status report.
Christyn Williams Gives Dallas Wings Another Perimeter Option
Dallas signed Christyn Williams to a Developmental Player contract on Aug. 14.
Fernández said the development spot is still very early, that he coached against Williams during her four seasons at UConn, and that she planned to meet the team in San Francisco.
“And with the timeline of Azzi and James coming back, and when she’s going to come back, Christyn coming in gives us another option of a perimeter player that can get downhill and also shoot it,” Fernández said.
Williams played 14 games for the Greensboro Groove of the UPSHOT League this season and averaged 9.6 points, 3.0 rebounds and 1.9 assists. Dallas signed her to a hardship contract in August 2025, and she appeared in four games. She overlapped with Fudd for one season at UConn.
Williams is listed in Monday’s pregame media availability at Chase Center.
Golden State has won five straight and beat the Chicago Sky 91-71 on Wednesday. The Valkyries have taken both meetings with Dallas this season and lead the all-time series 5-1. Monday’s game streams on Peacock and airs locally on KFAA. Dallas returns home to host Indiana on Thursday at 7 p.m. CT at American Airlines Center.
