Bueckers and Arike Deliver a Win with Bite

The Dallas Wings finally fed the fans something worth chewing on at College Park Center, snapping their seven-game losing streak with an 80–71 win over the Golden State Valkyries. WNBA lead contender for rookie of the year, and a soon to get named first time all star point guard Paige Bueckers led the charge with 20 points and four steals, while Arike Ogunbowale casually dropped 19 and climbed up the franchise assist charts.

Yeah, this was the one where Dallas said, “Not today.”

Let’s dig in.

If Geno Auriemma came all the way to Texas to view his old pupil, he didn’t leave disappointed. Maybe the Wings need Geno in the building at all their games because they are undefeated when arrives. Paige Bueckers looked like the franchise cornerstone the Wings have been waiting on—cool under pressure, precise with the rock, and fearless in the midrange.

Bueckers wasn’t just hooping; she was hooping with command.

Late in the fourth with the game tied at 70, Bueckers hit a free-throw line jumper that cracked the seal. The next possession, Arike drilled a cold-blooded three from the wing. And that was the game. Two back-to-back haymakers, served up with no apologies.

Postgame, Bueckers sipped on her custom flavored Shirley Temple Gatorade and sounded like a player fully locked into the marathon.

 

“I’m learning every single game… but as long as you keep putting the foot in front of the other… keep working… and that’s where you get your confidence from.”

Dallas never trailed after the first quarter. They didn’t panic when Golden State punched back. They just stood there, absorbed it, and responded like a team that remembered how to win.

Head coach Chris Koclanes could feel the shift.

 

“Finding our identity and really have a presence and play hard from the tip… just a different will and want and that came out,” he said. “You saw it on the boards late.”

GOLDEN STATE FORGOT TO REBOUND. DALLAS SAID THANK YOU.

Golden State came in hot, winners of three straight, but they left with a bruised ego and a box score that told the full story. The Valkyries looked stuck in second gear, especially on the glass, where Dallas dominated with a 39–28 rebounding edge—including 17 offensive boards.

They turned those hustle plays into 20 second-chance points. That’s not a stat; that’s a message.

“They just out-worked us, they out-hustled, they wanted it more,” said Monique Billings, who still managed a season-high 18 points in her first start of the year.

It wasn’t just effort. It was pride. Kayla Thornton didn’t sugarcoat it either.

“There’s no way teams should out-rebound us, knowing what our identity is. We were kind of on a little high… now we’ve got to come back to earth and just get back to work.”

Dallas, to their credit, looked like a team actually embracing their identity for the first time in a while. They got into the paint, hit the floor for loose balls, and chased down boards like their season depended on it.

“We took 15 more shots than them, 14 more offensive rebounds, that’s a part of our identity,” Koclanes said. “As we continue to search and become more efficient, we need those second chances.”

IT WAS UGLY, BUT IT WAS US

Look, this wasn’t a masterpiece. There were still stretches of clunky offense. Missed layups. A few shaky possessions in the third. But this was gritty, grounded, and more importantly—theirs.

Kaila Charles brought the glue energy again, finishing with 10 points, three steals, and four assists. NaLyssa Smith grabbed 10 rebounds like she was personally offended by the ball hitting the rim. And DiJonai Carrington? She brought that bench heat the Wings have desperately needed all season.

Even Myisha Hines-Allen felt the difference from their first home win since the preseason.

 

“It felt good. Our last win here was at the preseason game… this was like a growing moment for us.”

After nearly a month without a W, the crowd showed up and stayed loud, even when things got tense. That mattered. Paige Bueckers felt it.

 

“It means a lot especially at home, the way the crowd supported us tonight… they just stuck with us through the wins and losses.”

The Wings are still 2–11. No one’s firing up the playoff simulator or ordering championship tees. But this was the win they needed. A reset. A reminder. A deep breath.

Paige showed flashes of stardom. Arike hit the dagger and made plays on defense. The bigs controlled the paint. The bench helped. The coach coached. For one night in Arlington, everything clicked.

And if this is the first page of a new chapter?

It’s already a better story.