Dallas Wings beat Phoenix Mercury 85-70, Bueckers 31

The Dallas Wings defeated the Phoenix Mercury 85-70 on Thursday night at College Park Center in Arlington, Texas, powered by a season-high 31 points from guard Paige Bueckers. The victory improved the Wings' record to 8-4 overall and 3-1 in WNBA Commissioners Cup play.

Bueckers was dominant from the start, scoring 24 of her points in the first half on 11-of-14 shooting. She finished the game 14-of-20 from the field and 3-of-5 from three-point range, adding six rebounds and five assists in 31 minutes. The performance marked her third career 30-point game and the 17th such game in the WNBA this season.

The Wings never trailed, establishing an early lead and pulling away with a 25-16 third quarter. Their advantage grew to as many as 22 points. Phoenix trimmed the deficit to 80-70 with 1:28 remaining, but a subsequent offensive foul and a three-point play by Dallas center Li Yueru sealed the outcome.

Rookie Azzi Fudd contributed 17 points for Dallas, while forward Jessica Shepard recorded a double-double with 17 points, 10 rebounds, and a career-high seven assists. The Wings outrebounded the Mercury by 10, a key factor in their success this season.

For Phoenix, which fell to 4-10,...