Paige Bueckers Says She ‘Should Have Kept It’ On Final Possession Of Dallas Wings’ 82-81 Loss To Atlanta Dream

ARLINGTON, Texas — With a chance to win it in the closing seconds, Paige Bueckers gave up the ball on the Dallas Wings‘ final possession of an 82-81 loss to the Atlanta Dream on Wednesday night at a sold-out College Park Center, and she said afterward that she should have kept it.

The look went to Awak Kuier, a 23-foot step-back 3-pointer with 2 seconds showing that came up short. Jessica Shepard chased down the rebound and couldn’t get the tip to drop at the buzzer.

“I definitely could have kept it and tried to create,” Bueckers said of the possession. “I trust my teammates… but I think I should have kept it and tried to create.”

Kuier had checked in 21 seconds earlier, coming on for Li Yueru during the timeout that followed Bueckers’ two free throws. She finished with 4 points, 2 rebounds, and 2 blocks in 16 minutes, 17 seconds, going 0-of-3 from beyond the arc.

The Final 45 Seconds at College Park Center

Dallas led 79-73 with 45.7 seconds to play and gave the possession away on a shot-clock violation. Jordin Canada split a pair at the line moments later.

A pivotal sequence followed. Shepard went to the charity stripe with 36.8 seconds remaining, drawn there by a take foul from Angel Reese, and missed both attempts. Atlanta answered with its lone made 3-pointer of the night, a 26-foot pullup from Rhyne Howard off a Canada feed that cut the lead to 79-77 with 25.3 seconds left.

Canada fouled Bueckers 2 seconds after that, and Bueckers calmly knocked down both free throws to restore a four-point Dallas lead at 81-77.

The deciding moment came next. Arike Ogunbowale was whistled for a Flagrant 1 by referee Kevin Fahy with 18.7 seconds on the clock, called for contact on a 3-point attempt by Allisha Gray. Gray converted all three attempts to make it 81-80, and Atlanta kept possession. Howard found her for a 12-foot fadeaway with 15 seconds remaining.

“They made tough shots, got to the free-throw line and just executed a little bit better than us,” Bueckers said.

Gray was aggressive all night and attacked the paint instead of settling for jumpers, finishing with a game-high 25 points on a perfect 9-of-9 from the charity stripe. The last five points of the game were hers.

Paige Bueckers Finishes With 16 Points, 4 Rebounds, and 6 Assists

Bueckers played 37 minutes, 6 seconds and shot 6-of-11 from the field, 1-of-5 from deep, and 3-of-5 at the line, committing 5 turnovers along the way.

Eleven of her 16 points came in the second half. She scored 5 in the fourth quarter, including a 24-foot step-back 3-pointer with 1:26 left that pushed Dallas ahead 79-73.

The assists dried up late. Bueckers didn’t record one in the fourth quarter, and 5 of her 6 came before halftime.

It marked the 19th time this season she has scored in double figures with at least 5 assists, third-most in the WNBA. Bueckers entered Wednesday averaging 20.9 points and 6.2 assists per game.

Wings Coach Jose Fernandez Points to the Fourth Quarter

Wings coach Jose Fernandez didn’t place the loss solely on that final sequence.

“(If) we defend better in that fourth quarter and we don’t give up offensive rebounds,” Fernandez said. “We make our free throws… we finish the game off, it doesn’t come down to that last possession (that) everybody remembers.”

Atlanta outscored Dallas 30-17 in the fourth quarter after trailing 64-52 through three, shooting 52.9% in the period and going 11-of-14 at the line.

“What did I talk about the last two days?” Fernandez said of Atlanta’s success inside. “Points in the paint, either by dribble penetration or second-chance baskets. Nothing’s changed.”

For starters, the Dream scored 58 points in the paint to Dallas’ 40 and pulled down 12 offensive rebounds, showcasing the identity that has made Atlanta one of the league’s best second-chance teams. Second-chance points went 12-11 to the Dream. Atlanta’s bench produced 21 points, meanwhile, and the Wings got 1, a Li Yueru free throw in the second quarter.

Dallas held Atlanta to 1-of-16 (6.2%) from beyond the arc, the first time a Wings opponent made one or fewer 3-pointers since Sept. 18, 2016.

Ogunbowale led Dallas with 24 points, 6 rebounds, 5 assists, and a season-high 4 steals, staying aggressive toward the basket and creating her own shots. Shepard recorded another double-double with 16 points and a game-high 14 rebounds, her eighth straight and the longest such streak in Wings history. Azzi Fudd continued her strong stretch with 20 points on 9-of-13 shooting in her first game since winning the 3-Point Contest, knocking down her signature one-dribble pull-up throughout the night.

What’s Next for the Dallas Wings

Dallas left points behind elsewhere too, committing 18 turnovers that Atlanta converted into 15 points and shooting just 9-of-14 (64.3%) at the line. It was the second time this season the Wings have shot under 65% from the stripe, and the other came against Atlanta on May 22.

The loss dropped Dallas to 18-10. Atlanta moved to 17-10 and took the season series 3-0. Wednesday’s announced attendance was 6,251, a sellout.

The Wings close out July on the road against the Washington Mystics on Friday. Tip-off is set for 6:30 p.m. CT on ION.