Jessica Shepard notched a triple-double and Awak Kuier logged a double-double Tuesday night as the visiting Dallas Wings posted an 88-77 win over the New York Liberty.
Shepard finished with 22 points, 12 rebounds and 11 assists for the Wings (14-8), her third triple-double of the season. Kuier added 10 points, 12 boards and seven assists. Paige Bueckers scored 15 points as Dallas improved to 3-0 on its four-game road trip.
Breanna Stewart scored 19 of her game-high 29 points in the second half for New York (13-9), while Jonquel Jones added 17 points and 12 rebounds. Sabrina Ionescu chipped in 14 points but made only 5 of 15 shots.
The Liberty trailed by 16 in the third quarter and were down by 15 entering the fourth before making a push. They got within seven on two occasions, the last at 75-68 when Stewart cut to the bucket for a layup.
The Wings had all the answers, though. Shepard and Bueckers combined for seven straight points to put the game away, with Shepard earning her triple-double by feeding Bueckers for a 3-pointer with 3:12 left for an insurmountable 82-70 advantage.
Looking to avenge a 91-75 loss to Dallas on May 24, New York got off to a solid start, taking an 18-12 lead at the 3:50 mark of the first quarter when Stewart converted a pair of foul shots. But Dallas was able to edge within 20-18 going to the second period.
The Wings took command for good while outscoring New York 29-11 in a second quarter that saw them rattle off 19 unanswered points in a 4:15 span. Kuier capped the spurt with consecutive 3-pointers for a 37-25 advantage with 4:10 remaining, and Azzi Fudd’s mid-range jumper made it 47-31 entering halftime.
Ionescu canned a 3-pointer and a layup to draw the Liberty within 52-47 at the 6:22 mark of the third quarter. However, Dallas promptly ripped off nine straight points and took a 69-54 margin to the fourth stanza.
–Field Level Media
