Wings Open Playoffs at Valkyries Sunday Night on USA Network
The short version
- No. 7 Dallas Wings visit No. 2 Golden State Valkyries in Game 1 of a best-of-three WNBA first-round series Sunday, Sept. 27 at 9 p.m. ET on USA Network and CNBC.
- Paige Bueckers makes her playoff debut; Dallas has won seven of its last eight games.
- Jessica Shepard leads the WNBA with six triple-doubles and is the only player in league history to average at least 14 points, 11 rebounds and five assists in a season.
- Golden State owns the league's top defense and went 3-0 against Dallas this season, winning by an average of 12.3 points.
- Game 2 is Wednesday, Sept. 30 on ESPN; a possible Game 3 would be Friday, Oct. 2.
Paige Bueckers makes her postseason debut when seventh-seeded Dallas travels to second-seeded Golden State for Game 1 of their best-of-three WNBA first-round series.
The WNBA postseason gets underway for Paige Bueckers on Sunday, Sept. 27, when her Dallas Wings travel to San Francisco to meet the Golden State Valkyries at Chase Center. Game 1 of the best-of-three opening-round series tips off at 9 p.m. ET, with coverage on USA Network and a simulcast on CNBC.
Dallas enters the playoffs as the No. 7 seed but arrives in strong form, having won seven of its final eight regular-season contests. The closing stretch of the season was not without difficulty, as the Wings dealt with injuries to important contributors including Azzi Fudd and Alanna Smith.
Despite those absences, Dallas has stayed competitive behind its core of Bueckers, Jessica Shepard and Arike Ogunbowale. Shepard in particular has built a compelling case for Most Improved Player, topping the WNBA with six triple-doubles this year. She is also the only player in league history to post single-season averages of at least 14 points, 11 rebounds and five assists.
Sharing the basketball has defined Dallas this season. The Wings rank first in the WNBA in both total assists and assist-to-turnover ratio, an approach that has fueled their late-season surge.
Golden State, the No. 2 seed, counters with the league's stingiest defense. The Valkyries pace the WNBA in defensive rating, points allowed and 3-point defense. On the other end, coach Natalie Nakase's squad has made more 3-pointers than any team in the league and commits the fewest turnovers per game at 11.5.
The Valkyries also boast considerable depth. Gabby Williams, Veronica Burton and Kayla Thornton lead the way, with veteran Tiffany Hayes anchoring the second unit.
Golden State swept the season series against Dallas, winning all three meetings by an average of 12.3 points. The winner of the series advances in the 2026 WNBA playoffs bracket.
Game 2 is set for Wednesday, Sept. 30, at 9 p.m. ET on ESPN. If a decisive third game is required, it would be played Friday, Oct. 2, with broadcast details still to be announced.
Global Sportscast's schedule has the Wings at the Valkyries on Sunday, September 27 at 9:00 PM EDT from Chase Center, airing on USA Network and CNBC.
Games to watch
