But despite trailing by as much as 17 points, committing double-digit turnovers, getting into foul trouble and struggling defensively, the Wings pieced together a 36-point fourth quarter to edge the Sky 93-92 at College Park Center. The final score was Dallas’ first lead of the game, and the 36 points were the most the Wings (10–6) have scored in a quarter since 2024.
Center Li Yueru, who also thrived in the Wings’ 99-89 win over Chicago (4–11) earlier this season, hit two late free throws that sealed the win.
“My heart [was] jumping really fast,” Yueru said postgame. “I tried to win for our team, and I appreciate my teammates trusting me.”
“Both times we’ve played Chicago, she’s come in and played huge minutes for us,” forward Jessica Shepard said postgame of Yueru. “It’s hard to be in that position. It’s hard to stay ready.”
While Dallas struggled to shoot early, its stars came alive late. Shepard scored a team-high 21 points on 7 of 14 shooting and recorded eight rebounds. Paige Bueckers added 19 points on 7 of 16 shooting, along with eight assists and seven rebounds.
The phenom finished 1 of 5 from three on Saturday, but Bueckers’ one made shot from behind the arc came with 31 seconds remaining in the game. Fouled on the play, she went to the line, sank the free throw and brought the Wings within one.
“Some nights it’s not your night shooting the ball,” Bueckers said postgame. “But until the buzzer sounds, things can always change. And that’s kind of what we did as a team.”
Sky star Kamilla Cardoso (26 points) subsequently committed a back court violation and then fouled out of the game on the play that sent Yueru to the line.
It was an incredible finish for the Wings on a night that initially looked bleak.
Dallas ended the first quarter down 12 points, but outscored Chicago 22-15 in the second quarter to come within five of the Sky, up 43-38 at halftime. Bueckers scored seven points in the second after going scoreless in the first, which Chicago opened 16-6 before the Wings called a timeout at the 5:19 mark to regroup.
“I thought that first half wasn’t us,” Wings coach Jose Fernandez said postgame. “It just seemed like we could never get ourselves going.”
The Wings needed to recalibrate again with just over five minutes remaining in the third quarter, when Chicago held a 59-46 lead.
Chicago carried a 14-point advantage entering the final period but the Wings cut into that lead as the fourth quarter went on. An Azzi Fudd three with just under six minutes remaining in the fourth brought the Wings within four. The Sky answered, holding an 81-74 lead with 4:58 remaining in the game.
Capped by a Bueckers layup, an 8-2 run over the next two minutes brought Dallas within one. Bueckers tied the game at 84 and again at 86 with two more layups, building momentum for Dallas’ late surge.
“Today, you learn a lot from a win like this, on the fight and battling back,” Fernandez said. “But [we didn’t put] ourselves in a position to do what we needed to do. Everything went our way, as well.”