Dallas Wings one win from WNBA playoff clinch vs. Portland Fire
Get the Sports newsletter
Daily sports — scores, transfers, the storylines from the leagues you actually follow. Free.
- Dallas Wings need one win to clinch the WNBA's final playoff berth, entering Tuesday's 8 p.m. home game vs. Portland at College Park Center (NBA TV) with a magic number of one after back-to-back victories.
- Portland Fire are on the verge of playoff elimination following a 105-100 home loss to Washington in which they blew an 11-point lead, and were outrebounded 48-30 and outshot from the line 44-15.
- Megan DiLeo set a Portland single-season record with her 179th field goal made (passing Sophia Witherspoon's 175 in 2000), and is averaging 13.3 points per game — double her previous career high — while shooting 53.9% from the floor.
- Paige Bueckers scored 32 points on 6-for-6 three-point shooting in Sunday's 92-70 rout of Seattle, tying the WNBA record for most 3-pointers made without a miss in a game, and outscored the Storm 18-17 by herself in the first quarter.
- Jessica Shepard recorded her team-record 21st double-double of the season (11 points, 11 rebounds) on Sunday, and is the only WNBA player this year with at least 400 rebounds and 175 assists while leading the league with four triple-doubles.
- Azzi Fudd, Dallas's No. 1 overall rookie pick, will miss the rest of the season and undergo right knee surgery after averaging 13.1 points, 1.7 steals (fifth in the league) and a team-best +13.1 net rating.
- Dallas has tied its single-season franchise record with 22 wins since relocating from Detroit, and is 12-6 at home this season.
Why it matters: A Dallas win locks the WNBA's eight-team playoff field and officially eliminates Portland, whose free-throw disparity (29 fewer attempts than Washington on Sunday, 16 fewer the previous game) has become a defining weakness. For the Wings, clinching would mark their first postseason appearance since 2023 and validate a roster rebuilt around Bueckers despite the season-ending loss of top rookie Fudd.
Ask SkimNews
