SAN FRANCISCO — The Dallas Wings’ postseason run opened with a difficult night at Chase Center.
The Wings fell to the Golden State Valkyries 104-80 on Sunday in Game 1 of their best-of-three WNBA First Round playoff series, leaving Dallas one loss away from elimination.
Paige Bueckers led Dallas with 21 points and six rebounds in her first WNBA playoff appearance, shooting 9-for-10 from the field. Maddy Siegrist and Kitija Laksa each added 11 points, while Arike Ogunbowale finished with 10.
Dallas stayed within one point after the opening quarter, but Golden State seized control in the second. The Valkyries erupted for 37 points while holding the Wings to 11, turning a competitive game into a 58-31 halftime deficit.
Golden State continued to build on that momentum after halftime, taking an 85-56 advantage into the fourth quarter.
Cecilia Zandalasini paced the Valkyries with 22 points, while Gabby Williams scored 20 and Tiffany Hayes added 21 off the bench. Golden State connected on 18 3-pointers, tying the franchise record and making the perimeter shooting a major difference in the game.
For Dallas, the Wings shot 46.7% from the field but struggled from beyond the arc, finishing 6-for-20 from 3-point range. Golden State shot 50% from 3-point range and finished 18-for-36 from deep.
The Wings did find some rhythm offensively in the second half, but the deficit created during the second quarter proved too large to overcome.
Dallas finished the regular season with a 27-17 record and won seven of its final eight games to secure the seventh seed. Now, the Wings return home with their season on the line.
Game 2 is scheduled for Wednesday, Sept. 30, at College Park Center in Arlington, with tipoff set for 8 p.m. CT. A Dallas victory would force a decisive Game 3, which would be played Friday in Golden State.
