Wings clinch the final WNBA playoff spot with 96-78 win over Fire

ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — Paige Bueckers had 22 points and 11 assists, Jessica Shepard added 21 points, nine rebounds and six assists, and the Dallas Wings beat the Portland Fire 96-78 on Tuesday night to clinch the final WNBA playoff spot.

Dallas (23-16), which is headed to the playoffs for the first time since 2023, set a franchise record for wins during the regular season — with five games left to play.

Arike Ogunbowale finished with 17 points, Awak Kuier had 12 points, 12 rebounds and five blocks, and Alanna Smith scored 10 as all five starters for the Wings scored in double figures. Bueckers, coming off a 32-point performance on Sunday, had her 23rd 20-point game of the season.

Bridget Carleton and Karlie Samuelson each scored 14 points for Portland (15-23). Emily Engstler had 12 points and a career-high 15 rebounds.

Bueckers’ steal and pass to Ogunbowale for a wide-open 3-pointer extended Dallas’ lead to 84-60 midway through the fourth quarter. Bueckers and Ogunbowale each had three of Dallas’ 11 3-pointers.

Portland trailed by as many as 26 points and never led.

SUN 87, SKY 81

UNCASVILLE, Conn. (AP) — Aaliyah Edwards scored a career-high 26 points to go with 10 rebounds, and Diamond Miller added 21 points as Connecticut beat Chicago.

Connecticut had a 78-58 lead — its largest of the game — early in the fourth quarter before Chicago clawed within 82-79 with 2:20 left following a 21-4 run. The Sun scored the next four points, highlighted by Edwards’ block and layup for a seven-point lead.

Kennedy Burke added 19 points for Connecticut (10-27). Edwards was 11 of 16 from the field in 26 minutes and topped her previous best of 24 points. Brittney Griner (left knee) and Olivia Nelson-Ododa (right knee) did not play.

Kamilla Cardoso led Chicago (15-24) with 24 points and 13 rebounds for her 14th double-double this season. Azura Stevens added 18 points. Courtney Vandersloot became the second player in WNBA history to reach 3,000 career assists, doing so with the highest average per game.

Connecticut led 44-29 at halftime after holding the Sky to 33% shooting, including 0 of 12 from 3-point range. Sun starters Edwards (15 points), Burke (11) and Miller (10) combined to outscore Chicago 36-29 in the first half.

Chicago was without two of its guards in the second half due to injuries. Starter Natasha Cloud (right knee injury) played 16 minutes in the first half and DiJonai Carrington (foot) logged four minutes.

MYSTICS 94, MERCURY 84

PHOENIX (AP) — Sonia Citron had 19 points and nine assists, Kiki Iriafen added 18 points and 10 rebounds for her 17th double-double of the season, and Washington beat Phoenix.

With six games remaining, Washington (23-15) has the second-most regular-season wins in franchise history, trailing the WNBA champion 2019 team’s 26.

Shakira Austin scored 16 points for Washington. Michaela Onyenwere and Lauren Betts each had 10.

Natasha Mack and Kahleah Copper each scored 19 points for Phoenix (13-25). Alyssa Thomas had 16 points and 10 assists, and Kelsey Plum, playing in her first game since Aug. 9, added 10 points in 17 minutes. Phoenix finished 3 for 17 from 3-point range.

Washington shot 59% from the field in the first half and led 51-33. The Mystics held a double-digit lead the entire second half — with their largest advantage at 64-44.