Why the Dallas Wings vs Seattle Storm Game Matters for the Playoff Race
This article covers how to watch the Dallas Wings-Seattle Storm game, what each team brings into the late-season matchup, and which players matter most for the final stretch.
The Dallas Wings and Seattle Storm meet late in the WNBA regular season with two very different agendas. Dallas is still fighting for playoff positioning. Seattle is looking for anything positive to take into the offseason.
How to watch the Wings and Storm
Tipoff is scheduled for 9 p.m. CT, with the game airing on USA Network. AL.com's preview notes that fans who have not used DIRECTV's five-day free trial can stream the game without paying. Those who have already used the trial can turn to Sling, which the preview describes as a cheaper monthly alternative.
Dallas needs a response after a narrow loss
The Wings enter the game with a 26-17 record and are coming off an 87-86 loss to the Phoenix Mercury. That result stings because it was close and because Dallas needs every win it can get in the closing stretch. The team's margin for error is small in a crowded playoff race.
Paige Bueckers has been the main driver for the Wings, leading the team in points and assists with averages of 20 points and five assists per game. Her performance against Seattle will likely determine whether the Wings bounce back quickly or stumble again.
Seattle is playing for pride and progress
The Storm have underperformed badly this season, entering the matchup with an 8-35 record. Their most recent game ended in a 98-77 loss to the Las Vegas Aces. Still, the Storm have one clear bright spot: center Dominique Malonga. She leads Seattle in both scoring and rebounding, averaging 16 points and eight rebounds per game. Games like this give her a stage to show why she has become the focal point of the team's rebuild.
For the Storm, the result matters less than how Malonga and the younger players handle a Wings team that is fighting for something.
What is at stake
For Dallas, this game is about more than avoiding an upset. The Wings' seeding could depend on how they finish the season, and a loss to a Seattle team with an 8-35 record would hurt both their record and their confidence. The late-season schedule does not offer many easy nights, so beating the teams below them in the standings matters.
For Seattle, a win would be an upset and a rare bright spot in a difficult season. The more meaningful goal is seeing continued growth from Malonga and the rest of the roster.
The injury report is the one thing that could change the math for both sides. If key players are unavailable, the lineup rotations shift and the game becomes harder to predict. But based on the form each team has shown recently, Dallas should enter the game as the clear favorite. The Wings need to prove that a one-point loss to Phoenix did not shake them. The Storm need to prove they are still competing, even with nothing left to play for.