Wings Defeat Fire 101-97 Behind Shepard's Triple-Double

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — Jessica Shepard recorded a triple-double with 18 points, 15 rebounds, and 10 assists, leading the Dallas Wings to a 101-97 victory over the Portland Fire on Wednesday night. Arike Ogunbowale contributed 24 points, while Paige Bueckers added 21 for the Wings, who at one point led by 12 in the fourth quarter before Portland mounted a late comeback.

The victory came after Dallas (18-9) sought to rebound from a narrow 99-98 loss to the Liberty at home on Monday, which snapped their six-game winning streak. Megan DiLeo helped the Fire close the gap, making a layup that put them within 91-88 with just 2:34 left in the game. After three-pointers from Azzi Fudd and Bueckers pushed the Wings ahead to 99-90 with 1:21 remaining, DiLeo’s running layup followed by Samuelson’s steal and basket brought the Fire within striking distance at 99-97.

Portland’s Bridget Carleton missed a jumper at the buzzer that could have forced overtime. DiLeo, who led the Fire (17-10) with 21 points, recently married David DiLeo over the weekend in Iowa.

Bueckers, who had missed the previous game against the Liberty after a collision with Nneka Ogwumike during the Wings’ game against the Sparks, was initially listed as questionable but started against the Fire. The game began with Portland taking an early 15-8 lead, but the Wings fought back, closing the first quarter at a tied 15-15 thanks to a 3-pointer from Maddy Siegrist. They gained the lead on another three from Bueckers and grew their margin to as much as six points before Portland’s Carla Leite hit a layup to give the Fire a 42-40 lead at halftime.

The Wings reclaimed the lead with a running layup from Ogunbowale, concluding the third quarter at 76-69. An injury to Portland’s Sarah Ashlee Barker, who suffered a fall and did not return, added to the Fire's struggles.

Before the game, Bridget Carleton was recognized by fans for her participation in the All-Star 3-point contest. Fudd is also set to compete alongside Marina Mabrey from Toronto, Rhyne Howard from Atlanta, Natisha Hiedeman from Seattle, and Janelle Salaun from Golden State in the upcoming All-Star events.