Much-improved Wings to face major test in defending champion Aces

The Dallas Wings will get a real indication of their overall improvement when they host the defending league champion Las Vegas Aces on Thursday in Arlington, Texas in an early season premier matchup.

The Wings (4-3) head home after a solid 91-76 win over the New York Liberty in Brooklyn on Sunday. Rookie guard Azzi Fudd scored a season-high 24 points in the victory, with backcourt teammate Paige Bueckers also scoring 24. Arike Ogunbowale added 19 and Jessica Shepard amassed 10 points, 11 rebounds and six assists.

Fudd scored 17 of her points in the third quarter as she matched New York's entire output in the period to help Dallas take charge.

"So my goal was just to slow down, and my teammates were setting great screens, giving me great passes," Fudd said of her growth and early season contribution. "Reading what was there was the key (against the Liberty)."

Ogunbowale praised Fudd's improvement and her game-to-game overall performance.

"It just shows what (Fudd's) capable of," Ogunbowale said. "Obviously the world's putting pressure on her, but it's day by day. She's still a rookie. She's still learning. It's literally only game seven, and she's coming into her own."

The Wings have won three of their past four games after coach Jose Fernandez publicly challenged his team to be tougher and less selfish. Two of those victories were on the road and all three were by 10 points or more.

Las Vegas (4-2) travels to Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex after a 101-95 home loss to Los Angeles on Saturday. A'ja Wilson paced the Aces with 24 points and 15 rebounds in the setback while Chennedy Carter had 23 points off the bench, Na'Lyssa Smith scored 22 points on 8-of-12 shooting and gathered nine rebounds, while Chelsea Gray and Jewell Loyd hit for 12 and 10 points, respectively.

The Aces allowed Los Angeles to shoot 55.2% from the floor and make 14 of 29 of its 3-point attempts.

"If we can clean up the offensive end a little bit, I think it helps our defense," Las Vegas coach Becky Hammon said. "But the loss (to Los Angeles) was a disappointing night on the defensive end for us, plain and simple."

Carter's production off the bench (20 points per contest in 22.2 minutes per game) has been a boon for the Aces.

"Chennedy's going to be our spark plug off the bench," Hammon stated. "Her ability to get downhill, that hard-nosed aggression, is why I wanted to sign her. You have to deal with the big three in that first group then you come in and hit ‘em with the second wave of Jewell and Chen, and CP (Cheyenne Parker-Tyus) when she gets in there."

The Aces are 0-2 at home this season but have captured all four of their away games, with the defeat on Saturday to the Sparks snapping a four-game winning streak.

Thursday's clash is the first of three games between the teams this season.

--Field Level Media