Sparks forward Nneka Ogwumike, right, has her shot blocked by Dallas Wings center Li Yueru during the first half on Thursday, Sept. 17, 2026, in Arlington, Texas. (AP Photo/LM Otero)
Sparks guard Erica Wheeler, right, drives as Dallas Wings guard Paige Bueckers defends during the first half on Thursday, Sept. 17, 2026, in Arlington, Texas. (AP Photo/LM Otero)
Dallas Wings guard Paige Bueckers, left, shields the ball from Sparks forward Sania Feagin during the first half on Thursday, Sept. 17, 2026, in Arlington, Texas. (AP Photo/LM Otero)
Sparks forward Dearica Hamby, left, drives past Dallas Wings forward Awak Kuier during the first half on Thursday, Sept. 17, 2026, in Arlington, Texas. (AP Photo/LM Otero)
Sparks guard/forward Rae Burrell, left, shoots as Dallas Wings forward Maddy Siegrist defends during the first half on Thursday, Sept. 17, 2026, in Arlington, Texas. (AP Photo/LM Otero)
Sparks forward Dearica Hamby, right, drives as Dallas Wings guard Paige Bueckers defends during the first half on Thursday, Sept. 17, 2026, in Arlington, Texas. (AP Photo/LM Otero)
Sparks head coach Lynne Roberts yells from the sideline during the second half of a game against the Dallas Wings on Thursday, Sept. 17, 2026, in Arlington, Texas. (AP Photo/LM Otero)
Sparks forward Dearica Hamby handles the ball during the first half of a game against the Dallas Wings on Thursday, Sept. 17, 2026, in Arlington, Texas. (AP Photo/LM Otero)
Sparks guard/forward Rae Burrell, right, drives as Dallas Wings forward Maddy Siegrist defends during the first half on Thursday, Sept. 17, 2026, in Arlington, Texas. (AP Photo/LM Otero)
Sparks guard/forward Rae Burrell, left, shoots as Dallas Wings forward Awak Kuier defends during the first half on Thursday, Sept. 17, 2026, in Arlington, Texas. (AP Photo/LM Otero)
Dallas Wings guard Paige Bueckers drives up the court during the second half of a game against the Sparks on Thursday, Sept. 17, 2026, in Arlington, Texas. (AP Photo/LM Otero)
Sparks forward Dearica Hamby, left, and Dallas Wings guard Aziaha James reach for the ball during the second half on Thursday, Sept. 17, 2026, in Arlington, Texas. (AP Photo/LM Otero)
Dallas Wings guard Odyssey Sims limps off the court during the second half of a game against the Sparks on Thursday, Sept. 17, 2026, in Arlington, Texas. (AP Photo/LM Otero)
Dallas Wings forward Awak Kuier, right, looks to shoot as Sparks forward Cameron Brink defends during the second half on Thursday, Sept. 17, 2026, in Arlington, Texas. (AP Photo/LM Otero)
Dallas Wings head coach Jose Fernandez yells from the sideline during the second half of a game against the Sparks on Thursday, Sept. 17, 2026, in Arlington, Texas. (AP Photo/LM Otero)
Dallas Wings guard Paige Bueckers, right, dribbles past Sparks forwards Rae Burrell, middle, and Dearica Hamby during the second half on Thursday night in Arlington, Texas. (AP Photo/LM Otero)
Sparks guard/forward Rae Burrell raises her arms after a foul call during the second half of a game against the Dallas Wings on Thursday, Sept. 17, 2026, in Arlington, Texas. (AP Photo/LM Otero)
Dallas Wings guard Paige Bueckers gets to the basket for a layup during the second half of a game against the Sparks on Thursday, Sept. 17, 2026, in Arlington, Texas. (AP Photo/LM Otero)
Sparks head coach Lynne Roberts watches from the sideline during the second half of a game against the Dallas Wings on Thursday, Sept. 17, 2026, in Arlington, Texas. (AP Photo/LM Otero)
Dallas Wings guard Paige Bueckers lines up to shoot during the second half of a game against the Sparks on Thursday, Sept. 17, 2026, in Arlington, Texas. (AP Photo/LM Otero)
Injured Dallas Wings guard Azzi Fudd walks on the court before a game against the Sparks on Thursday, Sept. 17, 2026, in Arlington, Texas. (AP Photo/LM Otero)
Singer Kehlani sits courtside during a WNBA game between the Sparks and the Dallas Wings on Thursday, Sept. 17, 2026, in Arlington, Texas. (AP Photo/LM Otero)
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Sparks forward Nneka Ogwumike, right, has her shot blocked by Dallas Wings center Li Yueru during the first half on Thursday, Sept. 17, 2026, in Arlington, Texas. (AP Photo/LM Otero)
ARLINGTON, Texas — A Sparks team that is playing out the string in a disappointing season could not keep pace with a Dallas Wings team that is locked in a three-team battle for playoff seeding.
Paige Bueckers scored 19 points, Jessica Shepard had her fifth triple-double of the season with 13 points, 11 rebounds and 12 assists, and the Wings surged during a pivotal stretch of the third quarter to beat the Sparks, 97-77, on Thursday night for their fifth straight victory.
Both teams were returning from the WNBA’s 16-day break for the FIBA World Cup in Germany, where Bueckers helped lead the United States to the title.
Dallas (25-16), which is dueling Washington (25-16) and New York (24-16) for the sixth seed, tied the franchise record for wins in a season set by the 2003 WNBA champion Detroit Shock (25-9).
Nneka Ogwumike scored 18 points to lead Sparks (12-26), who saw their two-game winning streak come to an end. Dearica Hamby added 14 points and Rae Burrell had 12.
Maddy Siegrist added 12 points and Arike Ogunbowale had 11 for Dallas. Kitija Laksa and Aziaha James each scored 10 off the bench. Odyssey Sims did not play in the fourth quarter after injuring her right knee late in the third.
The game was tied after the first quarter and at halftime before the Wings grabbed the lead with a dominant third quarter when they outscored the Sparks 25-14. That 12-0 run continued into the first minute of the fourth quarter as the Sparks went scoreless for 2:35 of the clock bridging the periods and fell behind 74-58.
The Wings stoked their advantage to as many as 25 points in the fourth quarter and finished with a 46-27 advantage in rebounds.
The first quarter went back and forth and was tied at 25 after the first 10 minutes.
Neither team led by more than three points in the second period with Dallas up 42-39 after two free throws by Ogunbowale with 1:54 to play until halftime. The Sparks got the best of the final two minutes as Cameron Brink’s putback layup knotted the score at 44 at the break.
Shepard made a running layup off a fast-break to make it 62-56 with 2:07 to play in the third quarter. Awak Kuier’s 3-pointer with 32 seconds left, followed by a Sims layup stoked the advantage to 69-58 heading into the fourth quarter.
Shepard has the third-most triple-doubles in a season in WNBA history, trailing Alyssa Thomas’ six in the 2023 and eight in 2025.
Both teams have three games left in the regular season, with the Sparks already assured of missing the postseason for the sixth consecutive year.
UP NEXT
The Sparks play at Portland on Sunday at 4 p.m.