The Dallas Wings officially punched their ticket to the postseason on Tuesday night, snatching up the eighth and final WNBA playoff spot with a massive 96-78 win over the Portland Fire at the Moda Center. Yeah, you read that right: the playoff picture is set, but trust me, the drama is far from over.
Wings Back in the Dance for the First Time Since 2023
Talk about making a statement! The Wings didn’t just squeak by to clinch; they flat out dominated the Fire from jump street. They came out absolutely firing, holding a strong 50-37 lead by halftime after basically owning the first two quarters. Then, just to make sure there was zero doubt, they dropped a brutal 15-4 run to open the third quarter, completely blowing the game wide open for good. That’s how you take care of business and secure a playoff berth!
And who was leading that charge? **Paige Bueckers**, of course! She was absolutely electric on the court, dropping a monster 22 points and dishing out 11 assists, all while shooting a super efficient 8-of-15 from the field. Right there with her, bringing the heat, was **Jessica Shepard**, putting up a huge 21 points and grabbing 9 rebounds. These two went off when it mattered most, getting the Wings back into the playoffs for the first time since 2023. As for the Fire, tough break for the expansion squad. They were already more than six games back from the Wings in the standings, so this elimination was pretty much inevitable.
No. 1 Seed Is Still Up For Grabs
So, the full playoff field is officially locked in, but if you think that means anything is settled, you’ve got another thing coming! This WNBA season is still cooking with serious heat! Nobody, and I mean *nobody*, has locked up a seed yet. The Minnesota Lynx still hold the league’s best record and are totally on pace for that No. 1 spot, but they actually fumbled their chance to clinch it on Monday night, taking a loss to the Golden State Valkyries. And guess who’s sitting pretty at second in the league standings, looking like a real threat? Yep, those same Golden State Valkyries.
The race is absolutely *real*, with these eight teams officially in the mix for the title later this fall: the Minnesota Lynx, Golden State Valkyries, Las Vegas Aces, Atlanta Dream, Indiana Fever, New York Liberty, Washington Mystics, and, of course, our Dallas Wings. With several weeks of regular season games still left to play out, those final matchups are going to be absolutely wild to watch.
Wings’ Best Season Since 2016 and They’re Not Done Yet
Let’s talk about those Dallas Wings, though. They’re sitting at a solid 23-16 on the year with five games still left on the regular season schedule. That’s a huge deal because those 23 victories are the most this franchise has racked up in a single campaign since they packed up and relocated to Dallas back in 2016! Talk about a massive turnaround season for this squad!
Even though they were the last team to officially get into the dance, don’t think for a second they’re just happy to be there. The Wings are currently less than three games out of the fifth spot. It’s gonna take a serious push from Bueckers and the crew, plus maybe a little help from other teams, but there is absolutely still room for them to make a run and snag a better postseason spot before the WNBA playoffs officially kick off on September 27. Get ready, because the league is about to get even crazier!
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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