ARLINGTON, Texas — The Dallas Wings returned from the international break with a dominant second-half performance, turning a tight game into a 97-77 victory over the Los Angeles Sparks on Thursday night at a sold-out College Park Center.
The Wings and Sparks were tied at 44 at halftime before Dallas took control. The Wings outscored Los Angeles 25-14 in the third quarter and carried that momentum into the fourth, finishing the second half with a 53-33 advantage.
Jessica Shepard delivered another all-around performance, recording her fifth triple-double of the season with 13 points, 11 rebounds and 12 assists. Her five triple-doubles are the most in the WNBA this season and rank third for a single season in league history.
Paige Bueckers led all scorers with 19 points, adding six rebounds and three assists. It marked her 23rd game this season leading Dallas in scoring. Maddy Siegrist added 12 points, while Arike Ogunbowale finished with 11. Kitija Laksa and Aziaha James each contributed 10 points off the bench.
Dallas also controlled the glass, finishing with a 46-27 rebounding advantage. The Wings used a 12-0 run that stretched across the third-quarter break to turn a six-point lead into a 74-58 cushion.
The victory moved Dallas to 25-16, matching the franchise record for wins in a season set by the 2003 Detroit Shock. The Wings have three regular-season games remaining.
Nneka Ogwumike led Los Angeles with 18 points, while Dearica Hamby scored 14 and Rae Burrell added 12.
Dallas will remain home Saturday when it hosts the Phoenix Mercury.
The factual details above were checked against the game report and box score.
