Wings collapse late in 90-86 loss to Lynx

The Dallas Wings were minutes away from a statement win Thursday night before the Minnesota Lynx slammed the door late.

Minnesota outscored Dallas 11-3 over the final three minutes to escape Arlington with a 90-86 victory, handing the Wings their second straight loss.

Why it matters: The Dallas Wings have now dropped back-to-back games after opening the season with a win, and late-game execution is quickly becoming an early concern.

The big picture: Dallas controlled stretches of the game behind another standout performance from second-year guard Paige Bueckers, but the Minnesota Lynx finished stronger down the stretch.

• Minnesota erased the deficit with timely defense and clutch scoring in the final minutes.
• Former Wings forward Natasha Howard scored 26 points, including the go-ahead basket with under a minute remaining.
• Courtney Williams added 21 points for the Lynx.

By the numbers:

• Bueckers finished with 27 points and eight assists for Dallas.
• Maddy Siegrist scored 17 first-half points off the bench.
• The Lynx closed the game on an 11-3 run over the final three minutes.

What they’re saying: Minnesota repeatedly attacked Dallas in pick-and-roll situations late, generating clean looks while the Wings struggled to get stops in crunch time.

• "We don't want to panic, but we want to hold ourselves accountable for the standard we want to set," Bueckers said.
• Dallas head coach Jose Fernandez said the team's defense "needs to mean more": "When things are not going well for you offensively, you need to work harder defensively. It was important for us to get over ball screens... It's got to mean more."

Between the lines: The Wings offense continues to show promise, but defensive breakdowns and late-game execution have hurt Dallas through its first three games.

What’s next: The Wings will look to regroup next Monday as they continue an early-season stretch against playoff-caliber competition.