ARLINGTON, Texas (Interstat) — The Dallas Wings beat the Washington Mystics 92-69 on Monday night at College Park Center before 6,251 fans. Jessica Shepard recorded 12 points, 16 rebounds and six assists for Dallas, which improved to 2-2. Paige Bueckers added 18 points and seven rebounds. Arike Ogunbowale scored 16 points and Azzi Fudd chipped in 12. The Wings took control in the third quarter, outscoring Washington 28-17 after leading 38-29 at halftime. Dallas shot efficiently from the floor and from beyond the arc while holding the Mystics to 69 points. Shakira Austin led Washington with 12 points and four rebounds. Lauren Betts added 11 points and three rebounds, and Kiki Iriafen contributed nine points and 10 rebounds. The Mystics fell to 2-2.

ARLINGTON, Texas (Interstat) — The Dallas Wings used a dominant third quarter and a commanding rebounding performance to defeat the Washington Mystics 92-69 on Monday night at College Park Center in front of 6,251 fans. The Wings improved to 2-2 on the season, while the Mystics fell to 2-2. Dallas outscored Washington 28-17 in the third quarter, turning a four-point halftime advantage into a 66-46 lead entering the fourth. The Wings never trailed after the opening minutes and seized control behind a balanced attack led by guard Paige Bueckers and forward Jessica Shepard. Bueckers finished with 18 points, 3 rebounds and 7 assists in 33 minutes, knocking down a trio of 3-pointers including a dagger late in the third quarter. Shepard recorded a double-double with 12 points, 16 rebounds and 6 assists in 27 minutes, dominating the glass on both ends. She grabbed four offensive rebounds as part of Dallas’s 11-2 edge in offensive boards. Guard Arike Ogunbowale added 16 points and 3 assists in 33 minutes, going 4 for 4 from the free-throw line and scoring key buckets in transition. Forward Awak Kuier contributed 9 points, 3 rebounds, 4 assists and a block in 20 minutes, providing a spark off the bench. Guard Azzi Fudd chipped in 12 points, 2 rebounds and 3 assists in 24 minutes, hitting mid-range jumpers and a driving layup in the second half. For Washington, center Shakira Austin led the way with 12 points and 4 rebounds in 26 minutes, but she committed three turnovers and struggled against Dallas’s interior defense. Forward Kiki Iriafen just missed a double-double with 9 points and 10 rebounds, including two offensive boards, in 26 minutes. Center Lauren Betts scored 11 points on 5-of-7 shooting with 3 rebounds in 15 minutes off the bench. Guard Cotie McMahon had 7 points, 1 rebound and 1 assist in 21 minutes, and guard Lucy Olsen added 8 points and 2 assists in 10 minutes. The game opened with a flurry of activity. Washington won the opening tip and Shakira Austin immediately went to work, battling forward Alanna Smith under the basket. Kiki Iriafen gained possession on the first play and the Mystics set up their offense. Georgia Amoore missed a 3-point attempt, and Jessica Shepard grabbed the defensive rebound. The Wings moved the ball quickly, but Shepard missed a shot and Iriafen secured the defensive board. Washington committed an early turnover when Iriafen lost the ball and Alanna Smith picked her pocket. Dallas capitalized when Ogunbowale drained an 11-foot running pullup jump shot to open the scoring. The Mystics answered with a 3-pointer from Iriafen, assisted by Sonia Citron, to tie the game. Bueckers responded with a 9-foot pullup jumper, giving Dallas a lead it never relinquished. The first quarter featured back-and-forth action, but Dallas closed the period with a 19-9 advantage. Azzi Fudd hit a 16-foot pullup, Awak Kuier converted a running layup and added a free throw, and Ogunbowale buried a 24-foot 3-pointer. Washington managed only nine points in the quarter, shooting 3 of 8 from the floor and committing four turnovers. The Mystics’ only buckets came from Iriafen’s 3, a driving layup by Austin, and two free throws from Austin. In the second quarter, Washington tried to rally. Austin opened the period with a 5-foot shot, and Cassandre Prosper added a two-point basket. But Dallas’s Maddy Siegrist answered with a 25-foot 3-pointer. The Wings stretched the lead to double digits when Alanna Smith drained a 28-foot triple, assisted by Ogunbowale. Washington responded with a 24-foot 3-pointer from Prosper and a layup from Austin, cutting the deficit to 31-25. Dallas rebuilt its lead behind Shepard’s interior scoring and Bueckers’ playmaking. A 3-point play from Shepard and a bucket from Siegrist pushed the margin back to 10. The Mystics’ Lauren Betts scored inside, and Citron hit a short jumper, but Dallas closed the half with a 38-29 lead. Washington shot 8 of 15 in the second quarter but continued to struggle with turnovers, committing five in the period. The third quarter proved decisive. The Wings came out firing. Bueckers scored on a pullup, Ogunbowale converted a running layup, and Shepard cleaned up on the offensive glass. Despite a 28-foot three-pointer from Amoore and a pair of free throws from Iriafen, Dallas answered every Washington basket. Ogunbowale hit a 23-foot 3-pointer, Kuier scored inside, and Fudd knocked down a step-back jumper. Washington’s offense grew stagnant. The Mystics turned the ball over four times in the quarter and shot 5 of 14 from the floor. Dallas, meanwhile, shot 9 of 18 and grabbed four offensive rebounds, leading to second-chance points. Bueckers drained a 25-foot 3-pointer at the buzzer to give the Wings a 66-46 lead. The fourth quarter was academic. Washington opened with a layup from McMahon and a 3-pointer from the same player, cutting the margin to 66-57 with just over six minutes to play. But Dallas responded immediately. Fudd hit a pullup, Betts answered with a layup, and Kuier scored inside. Bueckers knocked down another 3-pointer, and Shepard added free throws. The Mystics continued to battle. Betts scored on a hook shot, Olsen hit a pullup jumper, and McMahon added free throws, but the Wings’ lead never dipped below 14 points. Dallas closed the game with a 92-69 victory, outrebounding Washington 40-24 and forcing 18 turnovers while committing only eight. Washington shot 24 of 49 from the floor, 5 of 12 from 3-point range and 16 of 20 from the free-throw line. Dallas shot 33 of 70 from the field, 11 of 24 from beyond the arc and 15 of 17 from the stripe. The Wings posted an offensive rating of 122.5 on 75 possessions, while the Mystics managed just 92.6 on 74 possessions. The most important sequence of the game occurred midway through the third quarter. With Dallas leading 50-40, Ogunbowale hit a 23-foot 3-pointer after a Dallas timeout, and two possessions later, Kuier scored inside to push the lead to 15. Washington then turned the ball over on consecutive possessions, and Fudd and Bueckers each scored, effectively putting the game out of reach. Interstat’s game simulator had projected a final score of Dallas Wings 95, Washington Mystics 94. The ELO system had projected Dallas with a 55.60 percent probability to win. Dallas had been installed as a pregame favorite with a spread of minus-5.5. The total score of 161 went under the over-under line of 173.5.

ARLINGTON, Texas (Interstat) — The Washington Mystics (2-1) visit the Dallas Wings (1-2) on Monday at College Park Center in a matchup of WNBA teams seeking early-season momentum. Washington arrives after a dramatic 104-102 overtime victory Friday against Indiana. Guard Sonia Citron logged 38 minutes, posting 30 points, six rebounds, four assists and one block. She has scored at least 17 points in each of her three games this season, including a 26-point outing May 8 against Toronto. The Mystics opened the season with a 68-65 win at Toronto on May 8 before falling 98-93 in overtime at home to New York on May 10. Forward Kiki Iriafen added 25 points and 13 rebounds against Indiana, while center Shakira Austin contributed 19 points, nine rebounds, five assists and three blocks. Dallas dropped its second straight game Thursday, losing 90-86 at home to Minnesota. Guard Paige Bueckers led the Wings with 27 points, three rebounds and eight assists in 31 minutes. She has averaged 20.7 points over three games this season, including a 20-point, four-assist outing May 9 in a 107-104 win at Indiana. The Wings opened the season with that victory over the Fever but have since lost to Atlanta (77-72 on May 12) and Minnesota. Forward Maddy Siegrist had 17 points and four rebounds against the Lynx, while forward Jessica Shepard added seven points, six rebounds and four assists. Interstat’s game simulator projects a 95-94 Dallas victory. Washington continues its road trip Sunday against Seattle before a three-game series there May 24-27. Dallas visits Chicago on Wednesday before games at Atlanta and New York.