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Paige Bueckers had 22 points, Azzi Fudd added 17 points as the pair of first-overall WNBA draft picks helped lead the Dallas Wings to a 89-76 victory over the Toronto Tempo on Sunday afternoon at Coca-Cola Coliseum.
It’s the fifth straight game that Bueckers has scored at least 20 points. The 24-year-old guard also added seven assists and three rebounds in nearly 31 minutes. Fudd went 5-for-11 from three-point range, while contributing three rebounds and two assists. Wings centre Jessica Shepard had a double-double, with 14 points and 15 rebounds.
This was the first meeting between the Wings (13-8) and the Tempo (9-11).
Dallas controlled the game from start to finish. The Wings scored their first nine points from three-point range and never relinquished the lead. The team outscored the Tempo 20-6 on second-chance points. At halftime, the Wings were up 47-42.
Marina Mabrey, who returned to the Tempo lineup on Sunday after missing Toronto’s previous game with a neck injury, led her team with 19 points, five assists and five rebounds. Mabrey was named the Eastern Conference Player of the Week last week after she scored a WNBA record-tying 53 points against the Los Angeles Sparks on June 25.
Dallas Wings took down Toronto Tempo 89-76 Sunday in WNBA action as Paige Bueckers led all scorers with 22 points.
Toronto was without star guard Brittney Sykes (left foot), rookie Kiki Rice (left ankle) and Temi Fagbenle (left eye) due to injuries. Point guard Julie Allemand was a late scratch with a left ankle injury.
Bueckers had notable support in the Wings’ first visit to Coca-Cola Coliseum. Fans in the stands were wearing the WNBA star’s jersey, and she received loud cheers when introduced as a starter. She calmly made a pair of free throws midway through the fourth quarter that effectively sealed the victory for the Wings.
The Tempo, on the other hand, continue to struggle on the glass. Toronto was out-rebounded 42-35 by Dallas, including 16-13 on offensive rebounds and 26-22 on the defensive glass.
The Wings will not travel to New York City, N.Y., to take on the Liberty Tuesday. The Tempo will host the Golden State Valkyries on Wednesday.
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