The Dallas Wings officially punched their ticket to the WNBA playoffs this Tuesday, grabbing a decisive 96-78 win over the Portland Fire! This isn’t just another game, folks, this is a remarkable turnaround for a team that spent the last two seasons, 2024 and 2025, basically getting shoved into the locker with a combined 19-65 record. Nobody can deny the progression this squad has made to get to 23-16, but a tough skid across late July and early August has everyone wondering if they’re about to become first-round dinner fare.
This Ain’t Your Grandma’s Playoff History
Look, the Wings’ playoff history isn’t exactly illustrious. This is their first time in the postseason since 2023, when they actually beat the Atlanta Dream in the first round before bowing out to the eventual champions, the Las Vegas Aces, in the semifinals. That 2023 run was the *first time ever* the franchise escaped the first round since moving to North Texas! Before that, we’re talking single-game first-round eliminations in 2017, 2018, and 2021. In 2022, they dropped two of three to the Connecticut Sun, with Arike Ogunbowale missing the first two games and Marina Mabrey leading the scoring in the Game 3 loss. The 2023 squad finished fourth at 22-18 when only four teams even had a winning record. So yeah, they’ve got history, but they gotta start writing a new chapter.
Can They Dodge the WNBA Monsters?
Here’s the real talk: the biggest question is whether this team can avoid getting eaten alive by the Minnesota Lynx (31-8) or the Golden State Valkyries (26-11), who are holding down the top two spots in the WNBA like absolute monsters. The Wings are a brutal 0-7 combined against those two titans. Yikes! The good news? Dallas has five games left on the schedule, and just one before that nearly three-week break for the 2026 FIBA World Cup. Every single one of those remaining opponents, including the Sun (10-27) whom they host on Sunday, has a losing record and is out of playoff contention. That’s a huge advantage if they want to improve their standing. They’re just a half-game back of both the Washington Mystics (23-15) and the New York Liberty (23-15) right now. The Mystics have a good schedule too, but they’ve got one “clearly losable game” on September 20th against the Indiana Fever. That’s a chance for Dallas right there.
The next game is Sunday, and every single one of these last five contests is a chance to move up, grab some momentum, and hopefully, just maybe, avoid those WNBA monsters in round one. Go Wings!
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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