The Dallas Wings are looking strong ahead of the WNBA regular season, defeating the Indiana Fever 95-80 in a preseason matchup. In a preview of the two teams’ season opener on May 9, Dallas took a big lead in the second quarter and never looked back.
Second-year guard Paige Bueckers led the Wings with 20 points, all of them in a hot first half. Caitlin Clark, who is continuing to warm up in her return from injury, led the Fever with a game-high 21 points.
The Wings surged in the second quarter, outscoring Indiana 36-12 in the frame. Dallas entered halftime with a 61-46 lead after going up by 21 points in the second quarter.
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In the third quarter, Dallas forward Alanna Smith was assessed a flagrant 1 after a landing space foul on Clark, giving the Fever guard an extra trio of free throws. Clark, who went down relatively hard on the foul and walked away from it gingerly, was subbed out shortly after hitting two of the three shots. Postgame, Clark said that she fell hard on her kneecap but that she felt “good,” via the Indianapolis Star’s Chloe Peterson.
Shortly after, a 13-2 run to end the third quarter pulled the Fever back within single-digits, but it didn’t end up being enough to offset Dallas’ early lead. The Wings picked up the 15-point win away, setting Indiana up for revenge next week.
In true preseason fashion, both Fever head coach Stephanie White and Wings head coach Jose Fernandez opted to rotate out players to test the full strength of their rosters. Indiana starters Aliyah Boston, Lexie Hull and Tyasha Harris sat out Thursday’s game with minor injuries, with White saying that they wanted to be “cautious” about playing them.
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By the fourth quarter, even with the score relatively close, both teams opted to rest their primary starters: Clark subbed out a little over two minutes into the third quarter, and Bueckers followed about 30 seconds later.
That rotation gave all of the players a chance to shine. Fever rookie Raven Johnson put up a strong defensive performance, getting five steals in relatively limited play.
Wings rookie Azzi Fudd, meanwhile, connected with Dulcy Fankam Mendjiadeu in the third quarter for a picture-perfect layup.
In another sign of preseason play, there were plenty of sloppy turnovers from both teams, indicative of early miscommunications between new teammates. Dallas put up 22 turnovers, but fared better from the floor, shooting 36-of-70 on field goals; the Fever, meanwhile, put up 17 turnovers and particularly struggled from three.
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The two teams will meet up in Indianapolis again next Friday for a season opener. Dallas will have a week to tighten up some of its weak spots, while the Fever will do the same while hoping to take back a win at home.
