A 100-76 loss to the Minnesota Lynx on Tuesday night snapped the Dallas Wings four-game winning streak.
The Wings entered the game flying high, sitting near the top of the WNBA standings. However, the Lynx leading the WNBA brought the Wings back down with a double digit loss.
Dallas started the first quarter playing well but ended the quarter trailing 30-18.
The Wings scored the first points of the game with a layup from Maddy Siegrist as Minnesota missed its first two shots of the game. Following Dallas scoring first, the Lynx responded with a layup from Kayla McBride to tie the game at 2-2.
From there the teams alternated points until Natasha Howard hit a 3-pointer to gain a 10-8 lead for Minnesota.
Then, Courtney Williams hit a pullup jumper to make the score 12-8. Although Arike Ogunbowale hit a corner 3-pointer to bring the score to 12-11, Minnesota built an 18-11 lead, forcing a Dallas timeout. The Lynx continued to build their lead and finished the quarter shooting 65% from the field.
The Lynx maintained their lead with efficient shooting as the team shot 77% from the field in the second quarter.
Paige Bueckers hit three straight 3-pointers to bring the score to 58-38 at the end of the second quarter.
In the third quarter, the Wings slowed down the Minnesota offense, holding the Lynx to shoot 28% from the field in the quarter. The defense allowed Dallas to enter the fourth quarter trailing 75-60 as the Wings shot 38% from the field.
In the third quarter, the lead dwindled to 64-52 following a layup from Jessica Shepard. Minnesota took a timeout and scored on the next possession. Shepard reached 1,000 career points on another layup in the third quarter, bringing the score to 68-54.
Minnesota quickly extended its lead back to 88-66 in the fourth quarter, forcing a Dallas timeout. The Lynx continued their dominance to earn their eighth straight win.
Minnesota Offense
Minnesota continued its offensive prowess against the Wings. The Lynx entered the game leading the WNBA in points-per-game (90.3) and field goal shooting percentage (49.9%).
After their slow start in the first minutes of the first quarter, the Lynx found their rhythm. Players continued to get open and hit their shots. The Lynx finished the first half shooting 72% from the field and 75% from the 3-point line.
After a poor shooting third quarter, the Lynx finished the game shooting 53.5% from the field and 50% from the 3-point line.
Four Minnesota players finished in double figures as three of them scored at least 20 points. Howard finished with 21, McBride finished with 22 points and Miles led the team with 24 points.
Top Two Picks Battle
While it was a game between teams near the top of the WNBA, it was also a game between the teams that selected the first two picks in the 2026 WNBA Draft. In the game, Fudd and Miles guarded each other.
Miles, selected with the No. 2 overall pick, finished with 24 points on 7-of-10 shooting from the field, 2-of-3 from the 3-point line and 8-0f-8 from the free throw line. She also added six assists and seven rebounds.
Fudd, selected with the No. 1 overall pick, finished with six points on 2-of-12 shooting from the field, 2-of-6 from the 3-point line and 2-for-2 at the free throw line.
In the first quarter, Miles forced a Fudd turnover. On the offensive side, Miles hit a layup with Fudd chasing her towards the basket. Throughout the game, Miles was able to navigate towards the basket as she maneuvered past Fudd.
Miles also demonstrated her shooting beyond the arc, she hit a 3-pointer as Fudd went under a screen in the second quarter. Her 3-pointer increased the Minnesota lead to 54-29 with 2:14 remaining in the second quarter.
After Miles failed to make a basket in the first half, she hit two 3-pointers in the third quarter. Her first 3-pointer brought the score to 60-43. Her second 3-pointer of the game brought the score to 64-50.
On the defensive side, Fudd blocked a Miles’ shot in the first quarter and forced Miles into some turnovers although Miles was able to easily maneuver to the basket.
Wings Struggle Offensively
Dallas finished the game shooting 38% from the field and 29% from beyond the arc. The Wings entered the game second in points-per-game (89.4) and fourth in field goal percentage (46.1%). However, the Dallas offense failed to live up to its standards against Minnesota.
The Lynx forced Dallas into difficult shots because of its strong defense. Minnesota is ranked third in the WNBA in blocks (5.1) and second in steal-per-game (8.6). The Wings finished with 12 turnovers as the offense struggled to move the ball against the top Lynx defense.