Paige Bueckers, Wings Lose 9th Straight as Valkyries Clinch WNBA Playoff Berth

Paige Bueckers and the Dallas Wings dropped their ninth straight game Thursday night, falling 84-80 on the road to the Golden State Valkyries, who clinched a playoff spot despite a standout performance from Bueckers, who finished with 27 points, four rebounds, six assists, and four steals.

Maddy Siegrist added 16 points, Haley Jones finished with 18 points, five rebounds, and seven assists, and Myisha Hines-Allen recorded a double-double with 12 points and 11 rebounds as the Wings sit at the bottom of the WNBA standings at 9-33 following Thursday's loss

In addition to her standout performance, rookie Paige Bueckers broke Arike Ogunbowale's single-season scoring record with the Wings, surpassing the 630-point mark set in 2019 — and doing so in just 34 games.

For the Valkyries — who made history by reaching the postseason in their inaugural year — Veronica Burton finished with 15 points and five assists, Janelle Salaün added 19 points and six rebounds and Monique Billings contributed 11 points and seven assists.

Siegrist opened the game by scoring the first five points straight, with Bueckers adding two and Jones capping the early run with a three-pointer as the Wings jumped out to a quick 10-0 lead. 

The Valkyries responded with a run of their own, tying the game at 16 with two minutes left in the quarter. Golden State took a 21-19 lead after 10 minutes, with Siegrist finishing the quarter with seven points to lead the Wings.

Jones caught fire in the second quarter, reaching 12 points with five minutes remaining as Bueckers already had four assists. By halftime, Bueckers had six points, Hines-Allen added seven and Siegrist led the Wings with 11 points. Dallas held Golden State to just 11 second-quarter points and took a 41-32 lead into the break.

Out of halftime, Bueckers and Siegrist traded baskets, scoring the Wings' first 11-of-21 points in the third quarter. Dallas held a four-point lead entering the final quarter as Golden State's Billings reached 11 points and Salaun added 10 in a tightly contested battle.

Jones continued her standout night, quickly adding four points in the fourth quarter during a back-and-forth battle between the Valkyries and the Wings. With the Valkyries leading by two and 1:17 remaining, Siegrist missed a pull-up jumper off a steal from Bueckers that would have tied the game. After the Wings grabbed the offensive rebound, Bueckers couldn't convert on the follow-up attempt.

Golden State capitalized, extending the lead to five. Bueckers responded by cutting the deficit back to three with 18 seconds left in regulation. 

The final seconds turned into a game of free throws and fouls. The Valkyries sank a pair at the line, but Bueckers responded immediately with two of her own, keeping the Wings within striking distance with 12 seconds left. The sequence repeated again with seven seconds remaining.

But the third time wasn't the charm — Bueckers got off a three-point attempt in the closing seconds but couldn't convert, as time expired.

The Wings will play on the road Sunday against the Los Angeles Sparks, who sit ninth and are on the brink of playoff elimination.