The Dallas Wings didn’t wait long to show the WNBA’s new era might run through Texas.
Driven by balanced scoring, timely shot-making, and a calm finish in chaos, the Wings opened the 2026 season Saturday with a 107-104 win over the Indiana Fever in front of a packed crowd at Gainbridge Fieldhouse.
Why it matters: The opener featured four recent No. 1 overall picks, national attention, and a growing rivalry between Paige Bueckers and Caitlin Clark.
Dallas walked away looking like one of the league’s deepest offensive teams with a franchise record 107 points.
By the numbers:
Arike Ogunbowale led Dallas with 22 points.
Bueckers and Odyssey Sims each added 20.
Dallas hit 10-of-16 from 3-point range in the first half while building a nine-point lead.
For Indiana:
Kelsey Mitchell scored 30 points.
Aliyah Boston added 23.
Clark finished with 20 points and seven assists.
What happened: Dallas looked sharp early, spacing the floor and turning nearly every defensive mistake into points.
Bueckers controlled the pace while Ogunbowale attacked in transition, helping the Wings quiet an Indiana crowd that arrived expecting a Fever celebration.
The game shifted in the second half.
Clark caught rhythm after halftime and helped fuel Indiana’s comeback push. The Fever erased Dallas’ cushion and briefly grabbed momentum entering the fourth quarter as the pace turned frantic.
Clark caught rhythm after halftime and helped fuel Indiana’s comeback push. The Fever erased Dallas’ cushion and briefly grabbed momentum entering the fourth quarter as the pace turned frantic.
But every Indiana surge seemed to meet a Dallas answer.
Sims, facing her former team, delivered one of the game’s biggest baskets late, while key plays from Bueckers and Alanna Smith helped Dallas regain control in the final minutes.
The Fever still had one last chance.
Trailing by three in the closing seconds, Indiana got a final look from beyond the arc, but Mitchell’s attempt at the buzzer missed, allowing Dallas to escape with the season-opening victory.
What they’re saying: Despite getting the season-opening, the Wings know there is still more to do.
“We’re not satisfied. We’ll take the win of course, but we’ve got more to work on,” Sims said.
“As we continue to build from game to game, it’s going to be a beautiful sight to see,” she added.
The debut: The game also marked the WNBA debut of Azzi Fudd, who knocked down her first professional basket on a corner 3-pointer in the second quarter.
The bottom line: For one afternoon, the hype surrounding Dallas looked justified. The Wings went into one of the league’s loudest arenas, matched Indiana shot for shot, and showed they may have enough offensive firepower to contend immediately.
Up next: The Wings are now 1-0 on the season and will return to the court on Tuesday when they face the Atlanta Dream on Tuesday at 7 p.m.