'We Let Them Get Too Comfortable': Dallas Wings Fall to Indiana Fever, End Road Trip with 0-3 Record

Li Yueru added 16 points, five rebounds, and two assists on a career-high 8-of-11 shooting. It marked her first time scoring in double figures in back-to-back games, following her 18-point performance against Chicago on July 9. JJ Quinerly added 13 points in her fifth consecutive start, continuing her stretch of double-digit scoring in each outing.

Dallas dropped to 6–16 on the season, while Indiana improved to 11–10. The two teams will meet again on Aug. 1 at American Airlines Center.

Second Quarter Breaks Game Open

Dallas opened with a new-look starting lineup of Quinerly, Bueckers, Ogunbowale, Luisa Geiselsöder, and Yueru. Yueru scored the Wings’ first four points and assisted Bueckers’ early three-pointer to spark a 16–11 lead, but Indiana quickly responded with a 10–2 run and took a 28–27 edge into the second quarter.

Then came the turning point. The Fever outscored Dallas 36–15 in the second period behind a 33–9 run that lasted until the 1:36 mark. Indiana shot 76.2% from the field in the quarter and led 64–42 at halftime. Natasha Howard and Aliyah Boston combined for 17 second-quarter points, and Howard finished the half 5-of-5 from the field.

The Fever’s aggressive defensive scheme focused on blitzing Bueckers in pick-and-rolls, forcing Dallas into pressured decisions and rushed offensive sets. Despite those challenges, Bueckers said she’s focused on improving her reads in those situations.

“I still feel like I could’ve taken care of the ball better,” Bueckers said. “But just making the right read out of the trap, out of them setting a double, and then playing to that advantage.”

“Just bringing two to the ball … creates an advantage for us on the backside playing four against three,” she added. “So just reading that — when to use a ball screen, when not to, when to just get out in space … that’s where I want to grow.”

The Fever’s 64 points marked the most scored in a half by any team this WNBA season.

“I think we need to improve on our transition defense,” Quinerly told DallasHoopsJournal.com. “There were times we didn’t give that effort — that second effort — to get back, and I think that kind of cost us that second quarter for sure.”

Ogunbowale echoed the sentiment.

“I think a lot of those, like you said, were off transition,” she said. “They didn’t even really have to set up and run something. So if we have better effort, we’ll get those stops.”

Bueckers also pointed to the second quarter as the stretch that decided the outcome.

“It just comes down to effort, and we let them get too comfortable,” Bueckers said. “They hit shots, sure, but it starts with us not making it tougher. We were playing catch-up from there.”

“That’s a Winning Trait”: Ogunbowale’s Return Leaves Leadership Impression

Despite the shooting struggles, Ogunbowale’s demeanor stood out. Wings head coach Chris Koclanes said her shooting was affected by both rust and Indiana’s defense.

“You could tell she hadn’t played in a bit. I wish some shots would’ve fallen early for her,” Koclanes said. “She’s going to get people’s best — they’re going to be really physical with her. They’re not going to allow her to move, so she’s got to continue to find that balance of really working hard to get up the floor, get to spots, and get off actions. And then I’ve got to continue to help her.”

That’s when Paige Bueckers jumped in.

“She might have — it might not have been her night shooting the ball — but the way she continued to stay in the game, not let it affect her effort on both ends of the floor, like her being a leader of this team — that was huge for me to be able to see that,” Bueckers said. “We’ve talked about it as individuals, just having one-on-one conversations of how we want to stay unaffected through the refs, through the missed calls, through missed defensive possessions. And so I just want to give a shoutout to her because it wasn’t her night shooting the ball, but I thought the way she stayed within the game — that’s a winning trait.”

Ogunbowale said her response was rooted in experience and perspective.

“Like you said, I’m a vet, I’m a leader,” Ogunbowale told DallasHoopsJournal.com. “There’ve been worse days. But this is a lot of rookies’ first season, and it’s just a new team. So me sulking or being upset isn’t gonna get us anywhere. I’m always gonna be positive.”

Quinerly agreed.

“We’re still a team and we’re going to stay together,” Quinerly told DallasHoopsJournal.com. “We’ve got other games to worry about, so having that kind of positivity on the bench or on the court is great.”

Li Yueru also pointed to second-half growth and the group’s need to learn from early lapses.

“We dig a big hole in the first half,” Yueru said. “We try to get back in the second half, but we still have some problems to figure out. I think we’ll improve that when we get back home.”

Ogunbowale noted that the team’s lineup instability due to injuries has made it difficult to build rhythm.

“It’s been unfortunate the first half of the season with a lot of people in and out, so it hasn’t really been a consistent lineup — like a lot of teams around here,” Ogunbowale told DallasHoopsJournal.com. “But nobody feels sorry for us. We just gotta figure it out.”

Quinerly also reflected on her development through the season’s first half.

“I think I’m growing,” Quinerly told DallasHoopsJournal.com. “I need to figure out how to stay in the game — the fouls have been a big part of that. And defensively, I’m learning techniques that a lot of vets use to get over screens. Then just making better passes and lowering my turnovers — that’s something I’m focused on.”

Wings Battle Late but Can’t Close Gap

Dallas showed resilience in the second half, outscoring Indiana 21–20 in the third and 20–18 in the fourth. Bueckers and Yueru combined for 13 third-quarter points, with Bueckers adding two rebounds, one assist, and a steal. The Wings closed the third on an 11–3 run and carried that momentum into the fourth with an 18–7 stretch.

Geiselsöder scored five of her seven points late in the fourth to help Dallas close the game on a 9–0 run.

The Wings shot 47.9% from the field, 42.1% from beyond the arc, and 63.6% at the line. The Fever finished with five players in double figures, led by 20 points from Kelsey Mitchell and a 14-point, 13-assist, five-steal effort from Clark, who recorded her sixth double-double of the season.

Indiana’s 102 points tied for the most Dallas has allowed this season (Phoenix, July 7).

Up Next

The Wings return to College Park Center for their final game before the All-Star break, hosting the defending champion Las Vegas Aces on Tuesday, July 16. Tipoff is set for 7 p.m. CT on KFAA and WNBA League Pass.

Ogunbowale said the group wants to close out the first half of the season with the right approach.

“We just want to feel good going into the break,” Ogunbowale told DallasHoopsJournal.com. “Win, lose, or draw, we want to give more effort than what we gave today, and just go in there with a positive mindset. Go into All-Star break, reset, and then get ready for Seattle when we’re back.”