By: Jennifer Portee
6/2/2026
The Dallas Wings didn’t just win Monday night they looked like a team starting to understand itself.
In a 79–56 victory over the Seattle Storm, it wasn’t about perfect shooting. It was about energy, timing, and players stepping into their roles when it mattered most. And was Aziaha James was one of the key factors.
Coming off the bench, James finished with 18 points and playing with a level of confidence that felt contagious. She didn’t force the game she read it. Attacked when lanes opened, pulled up when she found her spots, and stayed active in ways that don’t always show up in the box score.
Paige Bueckers helped Dallas settle in early, doing a little bit of everything with 10 points, nine rebounds, and seven assists. All of her scoring came in the first half, where the Wings built a 36–25 lead despite struggling to find a consistent shooting rhythm. Even without a hot hand, she controlled the pace and kept the offense on point.
Then came the third quarter, where Dallas quietly took over. An 8–0 run to start the half stretched the lead, and Seattle couldn’t answer going several minutes before hitting their first field goal of the second half. Dallas was simply sharper.
What stood out most was how the Wings stayed balanced. Even with Arike Ogunbowale and Maddy Siegrist having tough shooting nights, the team didn’t stall. Contributions came from everywhere, and Jessica Shepard’s presence on the boards helped Dallas control the game physically, outrebounding Seattle 48–36.
Seattle never quite found its rhythm. Flau’jae Johnson continued to show why she’s one of the league’s most promising young players, finishing with 16 points and 10 rebounds before fouling out late. She had her first career double double. Natisha Hiedeman added 11, but as a team, the Storm struggled to generate clean looks, shooting just 33% from the field.
After the game, Wings head coach Jose pointed directly to what made James’ performance stand out it wasn’t just the points.
“Well, she attacked the rim, & got to her spot. In conversations that we had with Zia about rebounding opportunities, extra passes, & sometimes settling for stuff, I thought she came in & she was aggressive, & she did a good job!”
Dallas improves to 6–3 and will look to carry that momentum into a road matchup against Los Angeles on Friday, while Seattle returns home to face Phoenix on Wednesday.