The Dallas Wings got absolutely stomped, 104-80, by the Golden State Valkyries in Game 1 of their first-round WNBA playoff series Sunday night at Chase Center. Talk about a rough welcome back! This team, injury-ridden all season, was making their first playoff appearance since 2023, and it felt like they never even truly got to suit up.
Bueckers Lights Up, Shepard Struggles Early
Okay, so Paige Bueckers, in her WNBA playoff debut, absolutely came to play. She led Dallas with 21 points total, and in that first quarter, she was hitting 4-of-5 shots for 11 points, just straight-up unbothered. Golden State tried to single-cover her and it totally bit them, with Bueckers even forcing Gabby Williams into two early fouls and sending her to the bench! You had to feel a glimmer of hope, right? Especially with Arike Ogunbowale and Maddy Siegrist chipping in and keeping things close.
But even with Bueckers going off, Jessica Shepard was struggling hard, missing her first three shots and coughing up two turnovers early. Still, the Wings only trailed 21-20 after the first quarter. You’d think they were in a great position, despite all the injuries. That hope, though? Man, did it evaporate fast.
Second Quarter Meltdown Sinks Dallas
Then the second quarter hit, and everything just detonated for Dallas. The Valkyries finally found their offensive rhythm, and suddenly Tiffany Hayes and Cecilia Zandalasini became completely unstoppable. Those two, along with Gabby Williams, absolutely torched the Wings defense, combining for a ridiculous 63 points for Golden State. That’s more than half the Valkyries’ total score from three players!
It was brutally clear the Valkyries knew exactly who to target. They picked on Shepard relentlessly, exploiting matchups where she was, to put it mildly, a total traffic cone on defense. Bueckers couldn’t carry the whole team through that mess, and Golden State just blew the doors off the game, walking into halftime with a massive 58-31 lead. Twenty-seven points down at the half in a playoff game? Yikes. That’s a canyon, not a hole.
Can the Wings Bounce Back from This Gut Punch?
Dallas tried to rally in the third, finally putting up their best scoring period with 25 points. Siegrist, Ogunbowale, and Aziaha James chipped in, showing some signs of life. But it just wasn’t enough, not even close. They couldn’t defend Golden State when it mattered most, and that canyon they dug themselves into was just too deep to climb out of.
Both teams started digging deep into their benches in the second half, trying to keep their starters fresh. But the damage was done, the momentum gone. Golden State cruised to a dominant 104-80 victory, taking a commanding 1-0 lead in this best-of-three series. The WNBA’s race for immortality has begun, but for the injury-ridden Wings, it feels like they’re already getting left behind, watching from the dust.
Game 2 is coming up, and for Dallas, it’s straight-up do or die. They HAVE to figure out how to slow down Hayes and Zandalasini, and for real, get some consistent, aggressive defense from everyone, not just Bueckers. She can’t do it all, and if they don’t get it together, this playoff run is going to be over before it even truly started. What a gut punch to kick off their playoff dreams.
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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