Wings Fall Short in Comeback Against Aces

Wings forward Haley Jones scores 12 points off the bench Wednesday night. (©2025 Miss Ari Photography)

Arlington - The Dallas Wings (6-17) mounted a tremendous comeback against A'ja Wilson and the Las Vegas Aces (11-11) Wednesday evening, but fell short in the final short 90-86 in the final moments of the fourth quarter. 

Before an excited College Park Center crowd, the Wings matched both the energy and effort of the Aces and completed the first quarter with an even 22-22 score. The Aces were able to create a bit of separation in the second quarter, however, the Wings wouldn't quit. The first half ended with a Las Vegas lead of just 47- 41.

The most consistent dynamic of Wednesday's game was A'ja Wilson. The All-Star and former three-time league MVP scored a game high 37 points for Las Vegas. She also had a game high 10 rebounds. 

The third quarter proved to be frustrating for Dallas fans, as Las Vegas went on an incredible run. Wilson had help from her bench, specifically guard Dana Evans and rookie Aaliyah Nye, who contributed 13 points. The largest Las Vegas lead was 22 points in the third quarter and they would never trail. It is important to note that the Wings would also not give up.

The final quarter began with the Wings down 72-52, but all was not lost. The fans remained and the shots began to fall.

Paige Bueckers, who wasn't having her best night scoring - continued to shoot and facilitate the offense. She scored a team high 20 points. Rookie JJ Quinerly, who missed tough shots all night, continued to hustle and create her own shots. She finished the game with 17 points. Haley Jones was a dominating force off the bench for the Wings, scoring 12 points and playing superior defense throughout the night.

Bueckers brought the Wings to within two points with 27 seconds remaining on the clock. Las Vegas Coach Becky Hammon was infuriated with her team’s play and called a quick timeout to let them know it. Wilson would score on a driving layup out of the time out. She was fouled by Li Yueru on the drive. Wilson missed the free throw, however, time was on the side of the Aces. Both teams would trade scores, but Las Vegas would walk away with the four point victory.

Dallas heads into the All-Star Break with several close losses during the first half of the season. Bueckers shared during the post game conference that while she will participate in the All-Star events, she does plan to do a lot of reflecting on the season thus far and determine ways to get better.

For recently signed forward Haley Jones, the fact that she is signed to the team for the remainder of the year gives her a sense of assurance. “I'm really grateful to be here and I’m finding where I can really impact this team,.” she says. “I think this is a great place to be and there is a lot of upside to this team.”