'We All Want Each Other to Succeed': Wings Rout Antelopes Behind Balanced Attack, Paige Bueckers Shines in Home Debut

Dallas opened the game with a starting five of Bueckers, Ogunbowale, DiJonai Carrington, Myisha Hines-Allen, and NaLyssa Smith—a group that offered a strong small ball option against a fast Antelopes team that likes to shoot a lot of 3-pointers, allowing Dallas to switch and play closer to the level in actions. Smith totaled 11 points and a team-high seven rebounds, while Hines-Allen added 13 points on 6-of-8 shooting with three boards in under 17 minutes. Carrington often picked up full court, adding eight points, three rebounds, and four assists on the night while setting the tone defensively.

The Wings led 29–14 after one quarter, sparked by a 21–4 run to close the frame. Bueckers scored her first basket at College Park Center with a smooth jumper to tie the game at 10–10, and Dallas pulled away behind six quick points from Siegrist and five from Smith, who added three rebounds in the period. Dallas shot 65 percent from the floor in the opening 10 minutes and outscored the Antelopes 24–4 in the paint.

“We just feed off each other,” Bueckers said. “We’re aggressive looking for shots, but we’re also aggressive in creating for others. We’re unselfish in moving the ball and wanting to get the best shot available.”

The second quarter saw Dallas extend its lead further. Myisha Hines-Allen scored on back-to-back possessions, while Aziaha James and JJ Quinerly provided defensive pressure and playmaking off the bench. By halftime, Hines-Allen, Ogunbowale, and Siegrist had reached double figures, and Dallas led 66–34 behind 68.3 percent shooting and a 46–6 advantage in paint scoring.

“It was great—great environment,” Bueckers said. “It was a great turnout for the preseason game to get that first experience at College Park Center in front of the Dallas crowd.”

The third quarter featured one of the game’s standout moments. After a loose ball was tipped into the air by Siegrist, Bueckers recovered and fired a no-look pass to Ogunbowale in transition, leading to a layup and a viral highlight.

“Paige just gets you easy buckets,” Ogunbowale said. “Even if you think she doesn’t see you, she sees you. I saw the highlight in the locker room—it was dope. But that’s just gonna be all year, so I’m excited about that.”

“It was all because of Maddie’s hustle play to tip the ball,” Bueckers said. “I saw Arike in the corner of my eye and wanted to make it happen as soon as possible. They were really quick in closing passing lanes, so I tried to make the play right away.”

In addition to scoring and facilitating, Bueckers continues to grow into her point guard responsibilities during her transition to the WNBA. She told DallasHoopsJournal.com before the game that among her goals for this performance was to continue to use her voice and organize the offense.

“Better than the first game. I’m trying to build every game and improve,” she said. “Getting more reps in practice helps with confidence to organize things in games. But the coaching staff and my teammates help a lot—it’s not a solo mission. Just trying to grow each game.”

Defensively, the Wings turned stops into momentum, holding Toyota to just six points on 3-of-18 shooting in the third quarter and 12 in the fourth. The Antelopes went 0-of-12 from beyond the arc in the third and shot 18.9 percent from deep overall.

“I told them to keep that same energy all year,” Koclanes said. “They showed it tonight, and that’s what you can expect. When we turn people over, we get to run—and that’s fun basketball.”

Dallas Wings Pulled Away Even More Late 

Dallas opened the final period on a 17–0 run fueled by Teaira McCowan, Kaila Charles, Joyner Holmes, and Yamamoto. McCowan finished with 12 points and five rebounds, while Charles scored 10 in just under 14 minutes. Yamamoto hit a three, handed out an assist, and drew praise for her sharp reads and infectious presence.

“She is extremely intelligent and picks things up very quickly,” Koclanes said of Yamamoto. “She’s been a great addition to camp and has helped us in a lot of different ways.”

“Mai’s the best,” Bueckers added. “When you’re around her, you can’t help but smile. It’s so infectious—the energy and the joy she brings.”

Ogunbowale said she’s embracing the team’s ball movement and the ease it brings to her offensive role.

“I think I got some very easy buckets today,” she said. “Obviously I’ll take my hard ones here and there, but that’s gonna be limited. Players like Paige and DJ—and then our fours—they’re passing, backdoor passes—great. So they’re gonna give me easy buckets and vice versa.”

The Wings finished the night shooting 66.7 percent from the floor and 53.8 percent from three-point range. They held Toyota to 18.9 percent from deep and just 31.6 percent overall, while also winning fast-break points 27–2 and second-chance points 26–7.

Beyond the box score, Dallas continued to emphasize its growing team culture.

“I think it’s just the personalities,” Ogunbowale said. “The front office did a great job picking not just good basketball players, but good people. It’s fun when your teammates score because we like each other—we want each other to do well.”

“We all want to be a player-led team,” Bueckers added. “Regardless of who the voices are, that’s always been the goal for us.”

Koclanes said the preseason finale was a key step as the team turns its focus to regular season play.

“It was another positive step for our group,” he said. “Now going into next week, we continue to build and establish this foundation—step by step.”

“The front office didn’t just bring in talent—they brought in pros,” Koclanes added. “These are players who care about doing things the right way, and it shows in how quickly they’re building trust.”

The Wings open the 2025 regular season on Friday, May 16, against the Minnesota Lynx. Tipoff is set for 6:30 p.m. CT and will air nationally on ION. Tickets for the home opener are still available.