The seventh-seeded Dallas Wings hope to carry the momentum of a fast finish into a WNBA first-round playoff upset when they open a best-of-three series on the road Sunday night against the second-seeded Golden State Valkyries in San Francisco.
The Wings (27-17) edged out the New York Liberty for seventh place by one game, thanks to seven wins in their last eight games.
The stretch began immediately following a 78-70 road loss to the Valkyries (32-12), which completed Golden State’s sweep of the three-game season series.
After losing Azzi Fudd for the season to knee surgery last month, the Wings have gotten their new Big Three rolling down the stretch. Paige Bueckers has averaged 22.8 points, 4.5 rebounds and 6.4 assists during the 7-1 run, while Arike Ogunbowale has contributed 17.1 points per game and Jessica Shepard has put up two triple-doubles and three other double-doubles, averaging 16.9 points and 10.6 rebounds per game.
Despite struggling during the regular season against the defensive-minded Valkyries, totaling just 53 points, six rebounds and 12 assists in those games, Bueckers looks forward to her first venture into the WNBA postseason.
“Very excited. It’s what you play for — to be able to play in the postseason, to play for something that means so much,” Bueckers said. “To be able to do it with this squad, I’m looking forward to it.”
After a brilliant first 42 games, the Valkyries staggered at the end of the regular season, losing at Portland and then needing a desperate late run to overtake the Los Angeles Sparks.
They’ve never won a playoff game — they were swept 2-0 by top-seeded Minnesota as an expansion club last year — but believe tough games like the regular-season finale against Los Angeles have helped prepare them well.
“We still (have) to come out better, but it is the reality of what playoffs are going to be. You’re not going to play perfectly,” veteran guard Veronica Burton assured reporters after the win over the Sparks. “For us to have that fight and the resilience that we showed (at the end of the one-point win), that’s what we need in the playoffs.”
Golden State’s biggest advantage over Dallas in the regular-season sweep came from its bench, as the Valkyries outscored the Wings’ bench 100-53. Janelle Salaun and Tiffany Hayes combined to average 20.0 points off the bench in those wins.
–Field Level Media
