Paige Bueckers' highlight-reel 3s fuel 20-point first half as Wings beat Mercury, nab franchise-record 26th win

Paige Bueckers hit a pair of head-turning, step-back 3-pointers on Saturday against the Phoenix Mercury , one in the first half and another in the second half that helped her Dallas Wings secure an 87-82 victory over the Phoenix Mercury.

In between, the two-time All-Star guard knocked down a triple while drawing a foul right before intermission , a sequence that sent the College Park Center crowd into a frenzy.

With the Wings playing their final regular-season game in the Arlington arena ahead of their 2027 move to Dallas' American Airlines Center, Bueckers put on a show. She finished with 26 points on 10-of-19 shooting to go along with her 5 assists, 4 rebounds and 3 steals.

Despite a furious fight from the Mercury (15-27) — in which Alyssa Thomas posted her WNBA-leading 23rd career triple-double (19 points, 11 assists and 10 rebounds) — the Wings (26-16) extended their six-game win streak. In the process, they logged their 26th victory of 2026, setting the franchise single-season wins record a year removed from winning 10 games.

Bueckers pocketed 20 of her points in the opening half. Over the first two quarters, she converted four of her five 3-point attempts.

She was a big part of the Wings soaring toward a 37-point second quarter. They capitalized off Mercury turnovers and ran the break.

In the second half, however, Phoenix increased attention on Bueckers, who was held scoreless throughout the third quarter. Luckily for Dallas, she had plenty of help, even in the backcourt, where Arike Ogunbowale had her turn in the spotlight.

Ogunbowale, a four-time All-Star, clocked out with 22 points and six assists.

Phoenix hung around, though, and not just because of Thomas. The Mercury also got 16 points from Natasha Mack and, most notably, a team-high 21 points from second-year guard Lexi Held .

For reference, Held came in averaging a smidge over five points. She brought swagger on the road, matching Bueckers' efforts from beyond the arc. Held went 4 of 5 from 3-point land and at one point in the final frame gave the Dallas bench a look after drilling a corner 3.

With less than two and a half minutes to go, Sami Whitcomb cashed in from long range, too, pulling the Mercury within one point.

She and Dallas gripped to that slightly cushioned lead from there on out, moving up to sixth in the W's standings.