The Dallas Wings took a brutal 98-87 loss to the Indiana Fever on Friday night at Gainbridge Fieldhouse, but honestly, that final score doesn’t tell half the story. This was a premier road matchup where the Wings were absolutely ravaged by injuries, fighting against a legit playoff-bound team led by Caitlin Clark and Aliyah Boston.
Decimated, Not Defeated In The First Half
Seriously, the injury report for Dallas is getting scary long. Azzi Fudd was out with a knee injury, Jessica Shepard had an ankle issue she’s still recovering from, and then Aziaha James joined the list with a leg injury. Head Coach Jose Fernandez gave us a bit of an update, saying Shepard went through some things at shootaround and Fudd was there too. But the bottom line? Dallas was three key players down. Despite all that, the Wings showed incredible grit in the first half. Paige Bueckers was an absolute force, dropping 29 points by the end of the game, matching Clark’s output.
And listen, we need to talk about Awak Kuier. That woman put on a defensive clinic! Her defense was so grinding, it basically locked down the Fever’s offense in the first half. She completely kept Aliyah Boston and Kelsey Mitchell from going off, holding that star duo to just 12 points on a combined 5-of-15 shooting at halftime. That’s insane, right? Because of that defensive effort, the Wings actually headed into the locker room with a 37-35 lead. Nobody saw that coming with so many players out!
Second Half Swings and The Kuier Truth
The Fever, though, came out of halftime like a storm. Clark and Kelsey Mitchell got their offense going, and the Wings just couldn’t find an answer for either of them. Indiana ripped off an 11-3 run, grabbing control and forcing a Dallas timeout while down four. But the Wings weren’t done fighting! Bueckers and Maddy Siegrist hit some clutch shots coming out of that break, swinging the momentum back to Dallas for a 60-58 lead. They even held onto the lead heading into the fourth quarter, up 66-63, with Bueckers still making plays all over the court.
Then the fourth quarter hit, and man, it was tough. Indiana just put a lid on the basket for the Wings and went on another run, taking over the game for good. Bueckers and Arike Ogunbowale tried to spark one last fight for Dallas, but Kelsey Mitchell ultimately put the nail in the coffin for the Fever. So, what’s the big takeaway from all this? Awak Kuier. Her gritty defense, that 7-foot wingspan, it’s undeniable. She proved she deserves a bigger role. The Wings need to lean into that defensive threat even more, especially as they navigate these injuries. You can’t ignore that kind of impact. It was a big day for all the Awak Kuier truthers out there!
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Mavs Moneyball.
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