On paper, the matchup between the Dallas Wings and Seattle Storm had all the ingredients of a compelling battle between two young cores. With recent top-10 draft picks such as Paige Bueckers and Flau’jae Johnson taking the floor, there was every reason to expect a tightly contested game with momentum swinging back and forth. Instead, the anticipation quickly gave way to disappointment… What had been billed as a must-watch showdown never truly materialized.

The fans expected to see some inspiring shots from beyond the arc, given the roster profiles of both teams. For context, the Wings were fifth in percentage of 3-pointers this season with 30.8%, while the Storm was sixth with 30.1%. These numbers backed up the game’s hype as well. The Dallas Wings eventually had the last laugh in the game, winning their WNBA Commissioner’s Cup opener in a blowout (79-56). But the on-paper numbers that the contest promised before the game just didn’t materialize.

In fact, the game saw just 9 three-pointers made between the two teams. Neither team could find much offensive rhythm throughout the game. The Storm endured a rough shooting night, connecting on just 33% of their attempts from the field, while the Dallas Wings weren’t significantly more efficient, finishing at 36%. This was despite the fact that the Wings had Paige Bueckers, Arike Ogunbowale, and Azzi Fudd in the starting five.

And Bueckers acknowledged how the game simply wasn’t up to the mark, despite a win for Dallas. She said:

“I feel bad for the people who are watching. They should get all their money back. I don’t even know what the field goal percentage was on both sides, but sometimes, you gotta win ugly, so we’ll take it and keep moving on.”

She admitted that the game was ‘ugly’.

“Sometimes you gotta win ugly like tonight. I feel bad for the people who are watching, they should get all their money back.”

While this cold-shooting night wasn’t enough, 37 personal fouls across the game further hampered the flow. And even in the subsequent free throws, both teams struggled to capitalize, with Dallas going 67% from the line while Seattle went 71%. Storm’s persistent turnovers (17) in the game crippled their offense, leading to 16 Dallas points.

On the defensive end, the Wings were quite efficient in taking an early advantage. They didn’t concede a single point in the first four minutes of both halves of the game, according to SB Nation Mavs Moneyball. But offensively, they were equally poor.

Even Paige Bueckers, who boasts 50.9% from the field this season, recorded 4 of 12 from the field, finishing the night with 10 points. However, her overall impact was decent on the night as she finished with one rebound shy of a double-double, along with seven assists.

Aziaha James led the night with a team-high 18 points, while scoring 7 of 14 from the field to assist Bueckers in this Dallas win. But the fans didn’t have much to offer in praise after the way this game turned out.

Fans rally against the Dallas Wings’ 3-point shooting in Paige Bueckers and the team’s third consecutive win

“Dallas Wings will only win this game because the Storm played worse than Dallas. What a waste of time. Dallas Wings needs to bench Arike and go back to the team that played against the Vegas Aces!” a fan wrote.

The comment might make sense to some. Every number that Paige Bueckers-led Dallas Wings posted at the end of the game, Seattle Storm just managed to do worse. For instance, the 36% shooting from the field is far from a decent number in the league. But the Storm just said, Watch me and posted 33%.

“Yo, this Dallas wings game on rn is why don’t take this sport seriously bro 33 points at half, almost like wtf son,” added another fan.

“The Dallas Wings and Seattle Storm are playing one of those games that remind you that the WNBA is a complete joke,” remarked one social media user.

At the end of the day, Dallas won the game through their dominance on the glass. The Wings heavily out-rebounded the Storm 48-36 on the night. They even capitalized better on the second-chance opportunities through 18 offensive rebounds. Meanwhile, Seattle had just 6 on the offensive end.

It was one of the major contrasts between the two teams. But it’s even more surprising that a game that featured so many formidable shooters, including Bueckers, Azzi Fudd, and Flau’jae Johnson, came down to shooting accuracy.

“Ppl told the wings they’re the best 3pt% team in the league and now they’re shooting 18%,” a fan wrote on social media.

“You don’t have the best shooter the game has seen in a long time on your team, just to prioritize an inefficient shot chucker, except you are the Dallas Wings, forcing this Parike bs. Azzi getting shots up should always be a top priority for this team,” remarked another.

For a team that has scored over 40% with ease this season, Paige Bueckers and the Dallas Wings found themselves in unfamiliar territory against Seattle. It’s something that head coach Jose Fernandez would take notice of from the game. But from their past performance, the number seems far from dysfunctional.

Bueckers and the team even scored 45% against the Las Vegas Aces, a team that breathes defense. So, at the moment, it seems like a one-off cold night for the Wings. They are still top five in three-point percentage at 35.3%. Furthermore, they will continue to build on it with players like Azzi Fudd, Bueckers, and Arike Ogunbowale.

Nevertheless, with this ‘ugly’ win, the Dallas Wings have won three straight this season. Paige Bueckers’ team is 6-3 so far this season, sitting comfortably in second place in the Western Conference division. The Wings take on the Los Angeles Sparks up next.