ARLINGTON, Texas — Jessica Shepard said Friday that the Dallas Wings reaching the postseason was the plan when she signed with the team in the spring. Two days later, Dallas opens its best-of-three first-round series against the Golden State Valkyries with an 8 p.m. CT tip-off Sunday at Chase Center in San Francisco.
The Wings signed Shepard on April 11 to a multi-year deal. She came from Minnesota, where the Lynx drafted her 16th overall in 2019 and where she spent five seasons. She would not have come to Dallas if she did not think the Wings could make the playoffs, and the goal is championships.
“I think it was the plan. I wouldn’t have came here if I didn’t think we could make the playoffs, obviously,” Shepard said. “Obviously, the goal is to win championships here, but yeah, it’s not a surprise to me.”
In 2025 with Minnesota, Shepard averaged 8.0 points, 7.3 rebounds, and 2.6 assists per game off the bench. She entered this season with one career triple-double across 125 games. In her first season as a full-time starter, she made her first All-Star team. In the Sept. 23 regular-season finale at Seattle, she had 20 points, 11 rebounds, and 12 assists for her sixth triple-double of the year.
Jessica Shepard On Golden State Valkyries’ Defense
Golden State allowed a league-low 75.1 points per game this season and swept the regular-season series with Dallas 3-0. The Wings haven’t played great against the Valkyries to this point, in Shepard’s view. Beating them means moving the ball better than Dallas has, getting back in transition, and taking care of the basketball.
“I think we haven’t played great against them so far up to this point. Obviously, they’re a team that plays extremely hard on the defensive end,” Shepard said. “And we know that. We know that we have to move the ball better than we have and also get back in transition and take care of the basketball.”
Shepard averaged 8.0 points, 9.3 rebounds, and 2.3 assists in the three meetings. After the finale in Seattle, she set ball security as a playoff focus.
Shepard named Kiah Stokes as a shot blocker at the rim. Stokes is a three-time WNBA champion and appeared in 39 games for Golden State this season. Shepard said the Valkyries switch one through five a lot of the time.
“I think they have a lot of versatility on the defensive end. Obviously, they switch one through five a lot of the times,” Shepard explained. “Kiah is a great shot blocker at the rim. And then just the level of intensity that they play with on the defensive end.”
Against Dallas, the Valkyries averaged 87.7 points and 21.3 assists per game. At times it looks like Golden State has five guards on the floor.
“They just play together. They have at times where it seems like they have five guards on the court,” Shepard said. “They drive and kick. And obviously you have to do a great job of your one-on-one matchup to avoid those rotations.”
Jessica Shepard Says Dallas Wings Found Defensive Identity In Second Half
Dallas averaged 89.4 points per game during the regular season, a franchise record. Shepard pointed to the number of scoring threats on the roster when asked what makes the Wings a difficult playoff opponent. She said the defense has changed too, with Dallas doing a better job of covering for each other as the season went on.
“I think just our ability on the offensive side. Obviously, we have a lot of scoring threats, and when we have players that get hot, it’s hard to stop them,” Shepard said. “So I think from that aspect, offensively, obviously, and then also defensively.”
“As the second half of the season has kind of gone on, we’ve started to discover our identity as a team defensively,” Shepard continued. “And we’ve done a better job of covering for each other.”
Dallas ruled out Azzi Fudd with a right knee injury and Alanna Smith with a lower left leg injury for Game 1. Adaptable is the word Shepard used for a Wings team that has changed lineups through the end of the season.
“I think we’re just adaptable. Obviously, we’re a deep team. We have a lot of good players on this team,” Shepard said. “So when the next player has had to step in, I think they’ve been ready for the opportunity, and everyone that has has done a great job.”
Shepard reached the semifinals with Minnesota in 2025. From that experience, she takes the view that the postseason is a whole new season and regular-season results no longer count.
“I think it’s just a whole new season is kind of the way you look at it. Anything you did in the regular season actually doesn’t matter at all now,” Shepard said. “Obviously the games you have to win or you’re done. So I think just that mentality of the grit and the competitiveness of the playoffs.”
Looking back on the season can wait, Shepard said, and the focus is the matchup Sunday.
“I think right now as competitors we’re just focused on the playoffs,” Shepard said. “I think looking back on the whole season is something we’ll do later, but right now we’re definitely focused on the matchup that we have on Sunday.”
Game 2 is Wednesday at College Park Center in Arlington on ESPN. A Game 3, if needed, would be played Friday, Oct. 2, at Chase Center.
