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Paige Bueckers-led Wings fall to Aces, but show significant strides as needed break nears

Ahead of the WNBA All-Star break, Dallas exhibits positive steps when Paige Bueckers and 2024 MVP A’ja Wilson face off.

ARLINGTON — With 27 seconds left, the crowd erupted in cheers as Paige Bueckers made a 15-foot pullup jump shot to put the Dallas Wings within two points of the Las Vegas Aces on Wednesday night at College Park Center.

One layup by A’ja Wilson and the win was just out of reach for the Wings, who clawed back from a 20-point hole in the fourth quarter.

The team’s 90-86 loss was its fourth in a row. The Wings have a 6-17 record going into the much-needed All-Star break.

In Bueckers’ first regular-season matchup with last year’s MVP, she led the Wings scoring 20 and recording eight assists. Following her was point guard JJ Quinerly with 17 points and power forward Luisa Geiselsöder with 14 points.

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The Wings held on in the first half, keeping within 10 points of the Aces. In the third quarter though, Las Vegas pulled ahead from a 10-point lead to a 22-point advantage when Dallas went scoreless for nearly four minutes.

“I think they were having their way with us a little bit,” Dallas guard-forward Haley Jones said. “... Defensively, it just seemed like we were a step late or taking a negative step.”

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Wednesday’s loss was the first time Geiselsöder scored double-digit points for the team in the five games she’s played since returning from EuroBasket.

“She’s been struggling a little bit, so I was happy for her to kind of find a groove and have an impact on this game,” coach Chris Koclanes said.

Coming off the bench, Jones scored the next most points with 12. The Wings signed Jones to a rest-of-season contract on July 9.

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“Loved what [Jones and Bueckers] were doing out there, and the two of them are just extremely good, high IQ and good feel together, so that’s a good duo,” Koclanes said.

Arike Ogunbowale had only nine points and six assists, which was an improvement from her two points and four assists in the team’s 102-83 loss on Sunday to the Indiana Fever.

While Wednesday’s game ended similarly to the last time the team played the Aces, much has changed since that June 13 meeting.

When the Wings lost to Las Vegas 88-84 last month, Quinerly played only five minutes and the team hadn’t yet acquired Li Yueru. Yueru and Quinerly both started Wednesday’s game, with Yueru scoring 10 points.

Wilson also didn’t play that game due to concussion protocol and Las Vegas hadn’t yet received center NaLyssa Smith in a trade with the Wings.

Smith was traded on June 30 for Aces’ 2027 first-round draft pick. Wednesday was the first time the Wings played against their former teammate.

Smith, who was welcomed back to Dallas to loud applause, started Wednesday’s game and scored seven points.

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Meanwhile, Wilson led both teams with 37 points.

“Crowding [Wilson], trying to get to doubles is tough at times when she turns and she’s so quick into her moves,” Koclanes said. “It was not good. ... She had her way with us.”

As Bueckers and Wilson head to Indianapolis for Saturday’s All-Star Game, both teams will get breaks. The Wings won’t return to College Park Center until July 27 when they face the Aces again. Before that though, the Wings will visit the Seattle Storm on Tuesday and the Golden State Valkyries on July 25.

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