ARLINGTON, Texas, May 19, 2026, 14:09 CDT
- Dallas is back at 2-2, limiting Washington to just 69 points—including only nine in the opening quarter.
- Paige Bueckers paced Dallas, scoring 18 and handing out seven assists. Off the bench, Azzi Fudd chipped in a career-best 12 points.
- Jose Fernandez finally notched his first regular-season home win as Wings head coach, just ahead of a three-game swing on the road.
After dropping two of their first three, the Dallas Wings finally put it together at home, rolling past the Washington Mystics 92-69 on Monday night. Jose Fernandez picked up his first win in Dallas, as the Wings’ defense clamped down and held the Mystics to just nine points in the first quarter. A 28-17 burst in the third helped Dallas pull away, evening their record at 2-2.
Timing played a role here. Dallas had just come off back-to-back home losses, both by narrow margins—the most recent, a 90-86 defeat to the Minnesota Lynx, made their issues on the glass, defensive rotations, and crunch-time execution impossible to ignore. After Monday’s win, Fernandez didn’t get fancy: “how we defended and how we rebounded,” he said, summing up the difference in simple terms following a week packed with harder questions. Dallas Hoops Journal
Dallas has almost no breathing room to see if the fix sticks. The Wings hit the road Wednesday in Chicago, then keep moving—Atlanta, New York—before they’re back home against Las Vegas. More film study, more shootarounds, not much in the way of real practice. So, for now, Monday serves as a first check, not the end of anything.
Work kicked off following the loss to Minnesota. Fernandez pointed to post defense, rebounding, and allowing straight-line drives as the key issues. Alysha Clark said Dallas had to “reestablish a new baseline” with a roster still coming together. Azzi Fudd noted the extra practices made a difference, letting the Wings run through actions live instead of only discussing them. Dallas Hoops Journal
Before facing the Mystics, Bueckers described the defensive lapses as “fixable,” flagging issues with pick-and-roll coverage and weak-side support. She mentioned Minnesota’s Spain pick-and-roll—a ball-screen action featuring a back screen to open up a cutter or roller—as a look Dallas just had to face once to figure out. Dallas Hoops Journal
Ogunbowale, unfazed by the 1-2 stumble, pointed out the losses sharpened Dallas’s film study. She’d pressed for “better team defense” and wanted more support behind that initial line. The Wings’ bench runs deeper this year, she noted, so there shouldn’t be as much pressure to force shots on offense. Dallas Hoops Journal
That was the case in the matchup with Washington. Dallas racked up 30 assists on its 33 field goals, pressured the Mystics into 18 turnovers, and got 16 points out of Ogunbowale. Bueckers shot an efficient 7-for-12, including 4-of-5 behind the arc. Jessica Shepard chipped in with 12 points, pulled down 16 boards, and handed out six assists—providing Dallas an inside presence that was missing when they faced Minnesota.
Fudd stood out for Dallas, too. The top draft pick put up 12 points, going 6-of-9 from the field in 24 minutes—mostly inside the arc, sparking the bench without leaning on threes. Afterward, Fernandez mentioned her minutes might keep climbing as she settles in. Fudd, for her part, pushed back on the shooter label: “I’m more than just that.” Dallas Hoops Journal
Fernandez flagged Washington’s frontcourt ahead of time—he pointed to Kiki Iriafen and Shakira Austin as threats for extra looks. Clark, for her part, singled out Iriafen and Sonia Citron as up-and-coming Mystics assets. Turns out Dallas clamped down; Washington managed just two offensive boards, five second-chance points. That’s a pretty direct response to the pregame scouting talk.
One solid night defensively doesn’t guarantee anything—Chicago presents a stiffer challenge, and Fernandez noted Dallas faces “a short prep” this time around. Ogunbowale didn’t mince words postgame on Monday: “We can’t take a step back now.” Dallas Hoops Journal
