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    The Dallas Wings are no longer just putting together wins. They’re building an identity.

    Sunday’s 96-91 comeback victory over the Chicago Sky in the first of three games at American Airlines Center this season extended Dallas’ winning streak to five games, its longest since 2023. The Wings improved to 15-8, their best record through 23 games since relocating to North Texas in 2016, and head into Thursday’s matchup against the New York Liberty playing some of their most complete basketball of the season.

    The winning streak has been built on comeback victories, balanced scoring, timely defense and a growing trust that has allowed different players to take over when their number has been called.

    The signs were there before Sunday’s game against Chicago, too.

    Chicago guard Jacy Sheldon knew Dallas would be a challenge defensively coming into Sunday.

    “I think defensively is going to be the key tonight, slowing them down offensively, knowing what they like to get to, knowing each player’s go-to moves,” Sheldon said. “They’re a really good offensive team, and obviously when they’re scoring a lot of points, they win a lot of games.”

    Credit: Dallas Wings

    Over the next five games, Dallas continued to validate Sheldon’s assessment, repeatedly finding answers regardless of the opponent or game script.

    The Wings erased a 14-point deficit to beat Connecticut 86-83 in the series opener. Paige Bueckers scored 11 fourth-quarter points on her way to 25 points, seven rebounds and seven assists.

    Dallas then defeated Toronto 89-76 on the road with all five starters scoring in double figures. Bueckers finished with 22 points, Azzi Fudd added 17 points and five 3-pointers, and Jessica Shepard recorded a 14-point, 15-rebound double-double.

    Dallas followed it up with perhaps its best performance of the season yet. Shepard posted her third triple-double of the year with 22 points, 12 rebounds and 11 assists, and Awak Kuier recorded the first double-double of her WNBA career on her way to scoring 10 points and grabbing 12 rebounds. Defensively, the Wings held the Liberty to just 19.2 percent shooting from beyond the arc.

    The streak continued in Montreal, where Dallas spoiled the city’s first WNBA game with a 108-95 victory over Toronto before a WNBA regular-season record crowd of 20,996. Bueckers erupted for a season-high 34 points, Shepard added 20 points and 17 rebounds, and Arike Ogunbowale scored 20 points as the Wings rallied from another double-digit deficit.

    Then came Sunday’s win over Chicago.

    Dallas erased a 10-point second-half deficit to win 96-91 and improve to 15-8 on the season. Bueckers finished with 22 points and 11 assists, Shepard recorded her WNBA-leading 15th double-double (19 points, 10 rebounds) and Li Yueru stepped up for Alanna Smith in her absence with 10 points and 10 rebounds.

    “This game, we didn’t know what to expect because Aly got hurt,” Shepard said. “But we still had Li, we still had the confidence in each other. We knew we could step up for her.”

    Fudd added 16 points Sunday and became the fastest player since 2002 to reach both 40 made 3-pointers and 40 steals in a season.

    It was the eighth time this season Dallas has come from behind to win after trailing in the fourth quarter, tying the Washington Mystics for most comeback wins in the fourth quarter across the WNBA.

    “I think our grit and our resilience,” head coach Jose Fernandez said of what makes his team able to pull off comeback wins. “We don’t do it on purpose to be down in the fourth quarter, but I think the pace that we play allows us to do some things that we do well in the fourth quarter.”

    Fernandez also credited the team’s depth after another comeback victory.

    “Everybody played and had a significant piece to this victory,” he said.

    That depth was on full display against Chicago, where Yueru stepped into a larger role after Smith exited with a right lower leg injury and helped stabilize Dallas’ frontcourt on both ends of the floor.

    “My teammates always tell me, ‘You’re good. Don’t worry about that. Just focus on this moment,’” Yueru said through an interpreter. “I feel really happy because this is the best locker room. We keep supporting each other.”

    Bueckers said that trust within the locker room has allowed players to embrace changing roles without hesitation.

    “Li stepped up and played huge minutes for us and was a huge reason why we won this game,” Bueckers said. “I think it speaks to our depth and our sacrifice within the team. We have a great locker room where everybody knows it could be my night, it could be her night. We all play a selfless brand of basketball.”

    Even as the Wings continue to stack wins, Bueckers believes the group is still far from its ceiling.

    “We’re not perfect,” Bueckers said. “This wasn’t even close to our best game, but we stuck together, we dug in and we found a way to win.”

    Credit: Dallas Wings

    The five-game winning streak has reinforced what Dallas is becoming. The Wings have shown they can erase double-digit deficits, defend at a high level and rely on contributions throughout the roster. Whether it’s Bueckers taking over late, Shepard filling the stat sheet, Fudd providing two-way production or role players stepping into bigger opportunities, Dallas has continued to find different ways to win. As the second half of the season approaches, that versatility may be the team’s greatest strength.

    That depth and resilience will face another test Thursday when the Liberty visit College Park Center. Dallas earned an 88-77 victory in the first meeting behind Shepard’s triple-double and one of its best defensive performances of the season. A second win over New York would extend the Wings’ winning streak to six games, complete a season sweep of the Liberty and offer another indication that Dallas is evolving from an up-and-coming team into one capable of challenging the WNBA’s top contenders.

    The post Dallas Wings’ Five-Game Surge Faces Next Test Against New York appeared first on Dallas Weekly.

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