Paige Bueckers Reacts After Leading Wings to WNBA Playoff Spot

The Dallas Wings clinched the final WNBA playoff spot with a 96-78 victory over the Portland Fire on Tuesday night at the Moda Center. This win secured the team's return to the playoffs for the first time since 2023, ending a six-game gap in the standings. The Fire, as an expansion team, were already more than six games behind the Wings.

With the playoffs now set, the Minnesota Lynx, the team with the best record, are on pace to secure the top seed. However, they fell to the Golden State Valkyries on Monday night. The Valkyries are currently in second place in the league standings. The eight teams in contention for the WNBA title are: Minnesota Lynx, Golden State Valkyries, Las Vegas Aces, Atlanta Dream, Indiana Fever, New York Liberty, Washington Mystics, and the Dallas Wings.

The WNBA playoffs will commence on September 27. In the first half, the Wings led 50-37, and continued their dominance in the third quarter with a 15-4 run to secure the 18-point win. Paige Bueckers was the standout player with 22 points and 11 assists, while Jessica Shepard contributed 21 points and 9 rebounds. Entering the regular season with 23 wins, the Wings now have the most victories in a single season since their relocation to Dallas in 2016.

Despite being the final team to secure a playoff spot, the Wings still have a chance to improve their postseason position with a strong push and some help remaining.