News Mavericks Team Notes

[Dallas Mavericks]

Love Him or Leave Him: Spencer Dinwiddie

Photo by Justin Ford/Getty Images

Does Spencer Dinwiddie still have a place on the Mavericks’ roster, or is it time to say goodbye?

The Dallas Mavericks find themselves in an interesting spot as the offseason officially nears. After trading Luka Doncic in early February, the Mavs had designs on a deep Postseason run as a defensive nightmare for opponents. With newcomer Anthony Davis as Kyrie Irving’s new running mate, things looked amazing for about two-and-a-half quarters of a single game before unmitigated disaster struck. Davis re-aggravated an abdominal injury, Irving suffered an ACL injury a few weeks later, and the Mavericks came dangerously close to not having enough players to field a team on multiple occasions.

After missing out on the Postseason, the Mavs defied the odds by landing the number one pick in the upcoming NBA Draft, all but certainly making Duke star Cooper Flagg the face of the future in Dallas. His pending arrival combined with Irving’s extended absence until at least January of 2026 raises a multitude of roster-related questions for Dallas.

In this series, we’ll take a look at players from last year’s roster to debate whether they are still a fit. We’ll have a look at what they brought to the team thus far, what they can bring under the current circumstances, and whether or not it’s better to keep them (“Love Him”) or forego re-signing/seek to trade them (“Leave Him”) for more favorable assets. Kicking off the series is the sometimes-polarizing Spencer Dinwiddie.

Season recap​

The 6’5 guard was in his second stint as a Maverick, ironically departing in the trade that brought Kyrie Irving to Texas, before signing back as a free agent prior to the start of last season. For the year, the 32-year-old averaged 11 points, 2.6 rebounds and 4.4 assists per game. He shot 41.6% from the floor and only 33.4% from three, a far cry from when he shot just north of 40% from beyond the arc during his first stay in Dallas. In a season when nearly every member of the roster missed meaningful time to injury, Dinwiddie was Dallas’ iron man having logged 78 games played.

Contract status​

Dinwiddie returned to Dallas last Offseason on a one-year deal worth $3.3 million, making him an unrestricted free agent.

How he fits​

Dinwiddie knows the system in Dallas and remains a competent NBA player with plenty of experience. While he may not fit Mavs’ GM Nico Harrison’s ideal vision of a defensive terror, he still brings value to a roster that currently has a massive dearth of guard depth. His assist-to-turnover ratio is a healthy 3.38 and he is no stranger to being a primary ball-handler, having done that job at various points throughout his career.

Final verdict: Love Him​

While he may not be the ideal candidate as a full-time starter, Dinwiddie has proven he’s both capable and available, things the Mavs greatly lack at the moment in respect of their guard position. While any number of transactions and signings may yet happen, it’s not inconceivable to believe the Mavericks will not magically create cap space or swing a big trade that nets them an obvious star guard. With that in mind, Dinwiddie represents an ideal target as Dallas looks to sure up their guard rotation. He knows both the system and the players and he would likely be as affordable as he was last time he signed. In the event he had to start or play heavy minutes to start the season, he would still seamlessly transition back to a bench role after the return of Kyrie Irving. As an affordable piece that would cost the Mavs no other assets, Dallas should bring Dinwiddie back into the fold.

I invite you to follow me @_80MPH on X, and check back often at Mavs Moneyball for all the latest on the Dallas Mavericks.

Source: https://www.mavsmoneyball.com/2025/...gent-mavericks-resign-trade-cooper-flagg-duke

 

[Dallas Mavericks]

SB Reacts: The Jason Kidd of it all

Bruce Kluckhohn-USA TODAY Sports

What’s going on here?

Welcome to SB Nation Reacts, a survey of fans across the NBA. Throughout the year we ask questions of the most plugged-in Dallas Mavericks fans and fans across the country. Sign up here to participate in the weekly emailed surveys.

This one’s more about feeling than fact. Marc Stein says Kidd doesn’t have interest in the New York Knicks job. Many other media sources say there IS interest. Dallas needs to shut it down unless they’re okay with him walking. Poll results later in the week! Sign up for the emailed surveys!

Source: https://www.mavsmoneyball.com/2025/6/10/24446249/sb-reacts-the-jason-kidd-of-it-all

 

[Dallas Mavericks]

Mavericks will not let Jason Kidd interview with the New York Knicks

Petre Thomas-Imagn Images

This weird story can finally go away

The Dallas Mavericks will not allow head coach Jason Kidd to interview with the New York Knicks for their own head coaching vacancy, according to ESPN’s Shams Charania. Charania reports that as of Tuesday night the Knicks haven’t made a request to interview Kidd, but the Mavericks will turn them down if that happens.

The Knicks have not requested permission for Mavericks coach Jason Kidd as of Tuesday night, but sources tell ESPN that the Mavericks would reject them. https://t.co/5oSSGQb0x4

— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) June 11, 2025​

This finally puts to bed a strange and weird story that has managed to stay alive for almost a week. After the Knicks fired Tom Thibodeau last Tuesday, Kidd’s name was almost immediately tossed into the rumor mill by just about every credible NBA reporter. The Knicks were also interested in the Rockets Ime Udoka, but the Rockets unofficially shot that down pretty fast through leaks to the media.

The Mavericks did no such thing, as reports bounced around for the last week with iffy language about whether or not the Mavericks would allow Kidd to interview. Soft language flying around about Kidd’s interest and the Mavericks expecting Kidd to be their coach next season made it difficult to ignore this story, especially when the Mavericks hold all the power and leverage — Kidd can’t go to New York if the Mavericks don’t let him, since Kidd is under contract with the Mavericks.

Why Dallas let this story linger for almost a week is anyone’s guess. For Kidd, reports indicate he’s using the Knicks as a boogeyman to secure another, longer-term extension as the Mavericks organization is in a bit of a precarious spot after the Luka Doncic trade, with Kyrie Irving’s ACL injury and the soon-to-be-drafted Cooper Flagg on the horizon. It wouldn’t have taken much for the Mavericks to squash this story, literally a single text to any NBA reporter saying “no, Jason Kidd is our coach, he’s not going anywhere” would have done the trick. It didn’t even need to be an official statement, the Mavericks could have just leaked this to any media member and gotten the same result. Instead, the Mavericks never definitively put their foot down and the story persisted.

At the end of the day, why the story lasted as long as it did doesn’t matter, aside from the Mavericks seemingly never-ending quest to annoy their fans. Perhaps there was more smoke to this fire than reported, maybe the Mavericks and Knicks earnestly tried to negotiate a trade for Kidd and the deal fell apart. We don’t know and we might never know, but for now, Kidd will be Dallas’ head coach to start next season, so you can go back to your regularly scheduled Cooper Flagg YouTube highlight binges.

Source: https://www.mavsmoneyball.com/2025/...jason-kidd-interview-with-the-new-york-knicks

 

[Dallas Mavericks]

Love Him or Leave Him: P.J. Washington

Does P.J. Washington still have a place on the Mavs’ roster, or is it time to say goodbye?

The Dallas Mavericks find themselves with plenty of veteran presence amid the pending NBA Draft which will all but certainly net them NBA-ready 18-year-old Cooper Flagg. As is the case every Offseason, every team will either tinker with or overhaul their roster – change is basically inevitable – but Dallas is in a somewhat unique position. The team is currently built around veterans Kyrie Irving and Anthony Davis, but the future clearly belongs to Cooper Flagg. So what will the cap-strapped Mavs do to build their team this offseason while they await the return of Irving early in 2026?

In the first part of this series, we took a look at Spencer Dinwiddie. Today we’ll take a view on fan-favorite P.J. Washington to see if it makes more sense to keep him in Dallas (“Love Him”) or utilize him as a valuable trade piece to fill other roster voids (“Leave Him”).

Season Recap​

Washington played a key role in the Mavericks’ defensive schemes, primarily splitting time at the 3 and 4. The 6’6 Washington averaged 14.7 points, 7.8 rebounds and 2.3 assists per game. The former 12th overall pick connected on 45.3% of his shots, including 38.1% from beyond the arc, both improvements from his first half-season in Dallas. For the type of player he is, he does not get to the charity stripe quite as much as one would think, attempting only 3.5 free throws per game. Despite a few absences due to lower leg/ankle injuries this year, he showed toughness in getting back on the court when he was still clearly ailing, managing to play in 57 games. He will be 27-years-old at the start of next season.

Contract status​

Washington is entering a contract year where he is set to earn $14 million before becoming a restricted free agent in the summer of 2026.

How he fits​

Washington is beloved by the fan base. He is the Swiss Army Knife of the roster, able to shoot the three, drive to the hole and even set up the offense from time to time. He is a versatile defender and shares enforcer duties with Naji Marshall. He struck the unbelievable “standing on business pose” in a playoff series against the Los Angeles Clippers that will forever endear him to Mavs Nation, a single image that explains exactly who he is. He is the second-leading rebounder on the roster behind Anthony Davis.

Final verdict: Leave him​

This verdict is painful and certainly not a reflection of my personal desire. Rather, it’s simply the by-product of what I think is reality – Washington is the odd man out. Being the starting small forward for a team that is about to draft a new face-of-the-franchise at the very position Washington mans is an unenviable position to be in. If by some bizarre circumstance Anthony Davis commits to playing center full time, a job he has repeatedly indicated is not his foremost desire, maybe there is a chance Washington remains in Dallas. In reality though, Davis moving to center exposes him to more wear and tear while pushing Dereck Lively to the bench full time. Neither really helps the Mavs. It’s impossible to believe Flagg comes in off the bench and unfathomable to believe Washington will move to a reserve role for the rookie, especially in a contract year. Given the cap situation, the Mavs may not be able to afford Washington next year in unrestricted free agency anyway (unless they are content with possibly blowing past the first or even second apron). With what feels like an overwhelming set of factors leading Washington to the exit, the Mavs would probably be wise to capitalize on his value now. He’s so much more than an expiring contract. His versatility would be welcome on just about any team as he enters his prime. The Mavs have limited draft capital in their control and Washington is the kind of player you could either turn into picks and/or other capable players at a position of need.

I invite you to follow me @_80MPH on X, and check back often at Mavs Moneyball for all the latest on the Dallas Mavericks.

Source: https://www.mavsmoneyball.com/2025/...-free-agent-mavericks-trade-cooper-flagg-duke

 

[Dallas Mavericks]

Paige Bueckers torched the Phoenix Mercury defense — but she can’t win games alone

Paige Bueckers #5 of the Dallas Wings drives to the basket during the game against the Phoenix Mercury during the 2025 WNBA Commissioner’s Cup game on June 11, 2025 at PHX Arena in Phoenix, Arizona. | Photo by Barry Gossage/NBAE via Getty Images

Bueckers went off for 35 points in Phoenix, but the Dallas Wings dropped their fifth straight game, 93-80, in Phoenix

A tragic Dallas Wings playlet unfolded at Phoenix’s PHX Arena on Wednesday.

Paige Bueckers pulls up to Phoenix’s PHX Arena in the drop-top, slides her sunglasses down the bridge of her nose and says, “Get in, Wings. We’re torching the Phoenix Mercury.”

Pan to an empty sidewalk. None of her teammates have even shown up. End scene.

Bueckers made her first seven shot attempts in her first game back after missing the last four for the Dallas Wings on Wednesday, but despite the rookie phenom’s best effort, Dallas dropped its fifth straight game to the Phoenix Mercury (7-4), 93-80.

Opposing defenses have been hounding star guard Arike Ogunbowale with double-teams, traps and hedges to get the ball out of her hands in Bueckers’ absence, but after Bueckers nailed her sixth-straight field goal, a 3-pointer along the right wing on the first possession of the second quarter, the Mercury shifted that tactic in her direction. Bueckers turned the ball over twice in the next three minutes as the Phoenix defense tried to take away the Wings’ not-so-secret weapon.

Bueckers gave a knowing nod after her second turnover of the second quarter, a shot-clock violation as two Mercury defenders sent her scurrying backward with the ball instead of attacking the basket. Adjustments would be necessary, and adjustments were incoming.

A minute later, Bueckers came open four feet behind the 3-point line on a ball reversal. Her stroke was every bit as pure as her first two 3-point attempts and tied the game, 28-28, midway through the second.

Bueckers shot 8-of-10 from the field against Phoenix, including those three from 3-point range, and set a new career-high scoring mark with 22 points — in the first half, when she played all 20 minutes.

PB FOR 22 IN THE FIRST HALF

Paige Bueckers 22 points in the 1st half was the third highest points in a half for a rookie in franchise history. pic.twitter.com/sXplGmAz3t

— Dallas Wings (@DallasWings) June 12, 2025​

She needs a ride-or-die, or two, or three, though. While Bueckers went 5-for-5 in the first quarter, the rest of the Wings shot an abysmal 3-of-13. No other Dallas Wings scored more than four points in the first half.

Phoenix held Ogunbowale to a big donut in the scoring column through the first two quarters on 0-of-7 shooting. She picked up her third and fourth fouls two minutes into the third quarter before diving to the rack along the baseline for her first field goal a minute later to pull the Wings to within 47-38.

Ogunbowale, DiJonai Carrington and Maddie Siegrist combined to shoot 7-of-25 from the field in the loss. Ogunbowale and Carrington combined for eight of Dallas’ 20 turnovers. The Wings shot 5-of-19 from 3-point land as a team in the loss. Everyone not named Bueckers combined to shoot a putrid 0-of-13 from long range. The Mercury — known league-wide this year as 3-point merchants — shot 15-of-35 (42.9%) from deep in the win, outscoring the Wings by 30 points from beyond the arc in the win.

Bueckers’ space station is indeed fully operational. That’s no moon. She has arrived on the scene as a force to be reckoned with in the WNBA. But she needs help in a bad way.

Even before Wednesday’s outburst, she led all rookies in points per game (14.7) and assists per game (6.7). But she can’t manufacture wins all by her lonesome. The Wings’ 1-10 record at the quarter-pole of the WNBA season is the best evidence of that. At this time last year, on their way to a 9-31 finish, Dallas had managed a 3-8 record.

Satou Sabally, who was Ogunbowale’s running partner a year ago in Dallas, led Phoenix with 20 points on four made 3-pointers and 10 rebounds in the win over her old team. Bueckers nailed two more 3-balls in the fourth quarter to give her 35 points and become the first Wings’ rookie to score 30 or more points in a game since Ogunbowale did it in 2019.

Source: https://www.mavsmoneyball.com/2025/...-mercury-defense-but-she-cant-win-games-alone

 

[Dallas Mavericks]

Better Days Ahead, But We’re Not There Yet

Jamie Germano/Democrat and Chronicle / USA TODAY NETWORK

A recent study labeled Mavericks fans the most negative in the league. But what if that’s not negativity — just the sound grief makes when it believed in something?

When I first saw the Vegas Insider report that Dallas Mavericks fans had been surveyed as the most negative in the NBA, my first reaction was to wince. The vibes, as recently as last year’s playoffs, were better than they had been since the 2011 championship.

It was P.J. Washington standing on business against the Clippers in the first round. It was the Mavericks’ defensive cohesion and timely shot-making against the Western Conference champion Oklahoma City Thunder. It was Luka’s step-back three over Rudy Gobert — a capstone moment in franchise history that sent Dallas to its third NBA Finals.

And yes, they lost in five to Boston. But the off-season held promise. What moves around the edges could the front office make to complement a championship-caliber core?

https://www.vegasinsider.com
The NBA’s Most Negative Fanbases

For a moment, it felt like they were on the right path. Klay Thompson — a Hall of Famer with something to prove — joined the squad. Naji Marshall, “The Knife,” added versatility. Quentin Grimes arrived and impressed. From the moment Luka returned to form in mid-November through late December, the Mavs won 13 of 16 games. At times, they looked like the hottest team in the league.

Then came the unraveling. And no — this isn’t another autopsy of the Luka trade. This isn’t even another critique of Nico Harrison directly, though I haven’t written my last of those.

This is about the survey result — the label slapped on a fanbase as “most negative.”

Calling a fanbase negative misses the nuance. It paints passionate heartbreak as petulance. And it ignores the deeper emotional truth.

Shortly after the Luka trade, I wrote a piece about how the fanbase had fractured into three pieces: those who walked away and may never return… those who say “move on already”… and those of us caught in between, stuck in amber, still driving with the brakes on.

This wasn’t just a playoff flameout. It was the end of an era — interrupted mid-rise.

A commenter named UtahMav dropped an analogy in my recent Captain Kirk analogy post that caught me off guard. At first, I thought he’d wandered into a Reddit thread about a failed relationship. But then I realized — no, this was the analogy:

“My basketball girlfriend has cheated on me, stabbed me in the back and I just can’t go on pretending I trust she’ll make the right decisions going forward. I’ve broken up with her. I’ve been flirting with other girls in the meantime. There’s beauty elsewhere. I’ve spent a good bit of time with one in particular — she’s interesting — but if I’m being honest, in my heart of hearts, I wanted it to work out with my previous long-term partner. We had such a deep connection, made such great memories. I know better than to crawl back to her before she gets her life in order. Major changes need to be made first. And a clear vision of going the right way before I saddle up with her again. It could take a while. Maybe one of these other girls will steal my heart in the meantime.”

That’s not snark. That’s poetry.

It also explains why this fanbase “won” that survey. We didn’t just drop in the standings — we fell through the elevator shaft. Because when you expect an open elevator door to come with the elevator car — when you expect the championship contention path to continue — and instead, you drop like Diana Maldaur’s famous LA Law exit? That’s a very specific kind of suffering.

So yes, when things go well, positivity is easier - which makes unity natural. But why are the Wizards — a franchise mired in mediocrity and worse — just above the Spurs at the bottom of the negativity list? Shouldn’t they be more upset?

No. Because when you’ve been bad long enough, you stop being surprised. You cease expecting better. In the ‘90s, I watched Mavs games on a 12-inch Philco TV, knowing we’d probably lose. But I watched anyway, to see glimpses of development. If your team loses enough, you don’t develop a taste for losing… but you do develop a tolerance for it.

That’s not where Dallas is.

Dallas had Dirk. And after Dirk, we had Luka. The franchise bridged the unbridgeable — two generational players whose legacies overlapped. We watched Luka’s rookie-of-the-year campaign morph into playoff runs, miracle shots, a Finals berth. And then… it all got ripped away.

And again — this isn’t about the trade. It’s about the trauma.

Some of us can’t let go of the hurt. Some of us already have - already humming the breezy Pat Metheny-style soundtrack of “Better Days Ahead.” And others are doing their best to move forward. We have to respect each other across those emotional states.

A few nights ago, I stumbled across a YouTube conversation between jazz guitarist Pat Metheny and Rick Beato. Beato marvels at how Metheny glides effortlessly over difficult chord changes — only for Pat to gently stop him. Paraphrasing the wisdom from Metheny:

“No, it’s not easy. It sounds easy… but I’ve spent a lifetime working on it. Hours and hours. I work at the things I can’t do. And over time, I’ve gotten to the point where I can do them. That’s the only reason it sounds effortless now.”

That moment of gentle pushback from a legend to an admirer registered with me.

Because the people in the “move on already” camp? They might look like they got there effortlessly. Like they rebounded or were never phased start with - and now are ready to talk about spacing and switch schemes again.

But for the rest of us — the ones still caught in amber, still driving with the brakes on — it’s going to take time. And work. We’re going to have to practice healing. Over and over. Let the team show us they’ve changed. See if this isn’t another elevator door opening without a car to step into.

We’re not negative because we love pain.

We’re negative because we loved.

And maybe, just maybe, we’ll find our way back to melody. But not before we fight our way through some tough chords.

Source: https://www.mavsmoneyball.com/maver...5745/better-days-ahead-but-were-not-there-yet

 

[Dallas Mavericks]

Don Nelson almost passed on Dirk Nowitzki in the draft and other fun stories from the award presser

From keeping Dirk Nowitzki a secret to the not-so-hidden shoe protest and falling out with Mark Cuban because of Steve Nash, former Mavs coach Don Nelson shared a host of stories from a life around the NBA.

In Sunday’s pregame press conference, where Don Nelson received the Chuck Daly Lifetime Achievement Award from the National Basketball Coaches Association (NBCA), the Hall of Fame coach answered questions and shared a long list of stories and interesting tidbits about his time in the NBA and in Dallas.

Don Nelson, the legendary NBA coach of 34 years, who was with the Dallas Mavericks from 1997-2005, both as a coach and as a general manager, had many things to share about his time in Dallas.

Known for the so-called “Nellie ball”, as well as the advent of the ‘point forward’ position, he forced teams to adjust to a higher pace and increased 3-point shooting, as well as disruptive defensive schemes during his tenure as an NBA coach.

Among many other interesting insights, the former Mavs coach and GM confirmed that the falling out between him and Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban was because Cuban was unwilling to pay Steve Nash in 2004. Nash left Dallas that summer to sign with the Phoenix Suns. He was a free agent and was offered a more lucrative contract by the Suns than the Mavericks.

In the award press conference, taking place prior to game 2 of the NBA Finals Sunday, Don Nelson also told the fascinating story about how he and Donnie Nelson (his son and assistant coach at the time) tried and succeeded in hiding Dirk Nowitzki from other NBA teams prior to the draft in 1998.

“Dirk was the most talented big man I’d ever seen. He was close to seven feet tall and he played like a small forward. Donnie (Nelson) found a way to isolate him from the NBA scouts, they played in the world games, European against American players down in San Antonio. Donnie got him to train in Dallas and they trained in the YMCA and only two people were allowed in there: that was me and Donnie,” the Hall of Fame coach said.

“So I got a chance to watch him for a week, and no other scout could come in… I didn’t want anybody else to see him, because I liked him that much. He scored like 35 and 15 rebounds and I thought ‘oh man, now everybody’s gonna see him’ but they only saw him the one time and he started slipping in the draft.”

It also turns out that they did the deal to trade back from draft pick six to nine because they were certain Dirk Nowitzki would slip. The reason was that they had told everybody else that Dirk couldn’t come to the NBA for another 2-3 years. Which of course wasn’t true. But it ensured that they were in the black that year instead of red, “and Ross Perot Jr. (the owner at the time) liked that,” Don Nelson added with a smile.

But the real kicker in this story is the fact that Dirk was not even Nelson’s favorite player in that draft (1998), he revealed. Paul Pierce was. And when Pierce started slipping, as well, they suddenly had to make the choice between selecting him or Nowitzki, Don Nelson explained. “Oh shit”, he thought.

At this point, however, his son Donnie reminded him of the lengths they’d gone to in order to hide and keep Nowitzki a secret, and Don agreed - they’d made a commitment and they were going to stand on it. But it wasn’t a smooth start in Dallas for Dirk and Don:

“It was tough for a while in Dallas. People thought I was a mad scientist… we stuck with him and we got (Steve) Nash in the trade and history can answer the rest of it.”

Don Nelson was not about to stop raving about Dirk Nowitzki, however.

“What a player, huh. What a human being. I’m so proud of him,” he added and continued straight into one of the big stories of the night, the shoe protest:

“And Luka too. My dear friend. As a matter of fact, I want everybody to know, I’m wearing Luka’s shoes... And I’m wearing them in protest of the trade from Dallas. I think it’s a tremendous mistake by the Dallas Mavericks franchise to trade him,” Nelson quipped, referring to the protest of the Mavericks’ widely criticized trade of Luka Dončić to the Lakers earlier this year.”

“I’m wearing Luka’s shoes in protest of the trade from Dallas.”

Former Mavericks HC Don Nelson is clearly not rockin with the Luka Doncic trade pic.twitter.com/RyOMco3RjR

— Nice Kicks (@nicekicks) June 9, 2025​

At this point in the presser, Rick Carlisle, Indiana Pacers head coach and NBCA President - as well as Dallas Mavericks head coach from 2008-2021 - who was seated next to him - let out a loud chuckle, indicating Carlisle’s stance on the matter.

Don Nelson. Legend. pic.twitter.com/2Fu8UZ2y77

— Jason Gallagher (@jga41agher) June 8, 2025​

Don Nelson continued:

“I want everybody to know that. Because I learned from the best. I played a year for Red Auerbach. I played under him for Tommy Heinsohn and Bill Russell. And I had the opportunity to sit and talk with Red about his philosophy. And his philosophy was, when you have a great player… you never lose that player - you keep them for a lifetime. You put his number up and you honor that player,” the former Mavs coach said and continued:

“My philosophy was always to honor the great players. Not trade them away. But to add pieces to that player to make him and that franchise the best that it could be.”

Don Nelson, who is one of only two coaches in NBA history to lead three teams to at least 250 wins, spent 34 years as a head coach in the NBA, as he coached the Milwaukee Bucks, the Golden State Warriors (twice), the New York Knicks and the Dallas Mavericks from 1997 to 2005.

During this short press conference, he also shared how he created “Nellie ball” - he had the idea while playing on the Boston Celtics - and a list of other interesting tidbits. If you’re interested in NBA history and Dallas Mavericks history, it’s worth your time. Watch the full press conference here:

Find more Beyond Basketball pieces here.

Source: https://www.mavsmoneyball.com/2025/...he-draft-and-fun-stories-from-the-award-press

 

[Dallas Mavericks]

Broken teams doing broke things: Anatomy of a fourth-quarter Dallas Wings collapse in Las Vegas

Las Vegas Aces guard Jackie Young (0) drives past Dallas Wings guard DiJonai Carrington (21) in the first quarter of their game at Michelob Ultra Arena. | Candice Ward-Imagn Images

The Wings collapsed down the stretch and let a win slip through their fingers like so much desert sand.

The Dallas Wings (1-11) forced nine straight turnovers and started the second half on a 22-2 run on Friday, but not even climbing up that hill was enough to secure their second win of the season against the Las Vegas Aces (5-4) on Friday.

The Wings collapsed down the stretch of an 88-84 loss at Michelob Arena as the Aces outscored Dallas 17-2 to end the game and cement the Wings’ sixth straight loss in the worst start to a season in franchise history.

Dallas came into Friday’s game at Michelob Ultra Arena searching for that put-away run, that killer instinct, that crucial bunch of stops and buckets on the other end — all the things that add up to winning basketball. They thought they’d found it entering the fourth quarter.

The Wings built a lead as large as 13 points during that 22-2 run to open the third, but Las Vegas cut it to 76-71 on Jackie Young’s drive to the cup with 5:48 left to play. Paige Bueckers nailed a pull-up jumper, DiJonai Carrington drove to the bucket and Luisa Geiselsoder made a nice cut to get open in the lane in response — three straight clutch buckets to extend the Dallas lead to 11, up 82-71 with 3:40 left.

Bueckers turned the ball over on back-to-back possessions down the stretch, the latter of which resulted in a transition take foul that sent Jewell Loyd to the free throw line, then Ogunbowale charged into Loyd after Loyd sunk her two free throws to pull the Aces to within 82-77.

After two more free throws from Young and with 1:53 left on the clock, the Wings were nursing a fragile 82-79 lead. Ogunbowale’s errant pass was picked off by Aces guard Chelsea Gray. Carrington fouled Young on a call Carrington thought should have been a jump ball, and Young sank two more to make it an 82-81 game with 1:05 remaining.

After Bueckers missed a long jumper on one end, a broken play led to Gray’s offensive rebound on the other end. She found Loyd open for a corner 3-ball as Geiselsoder closed out on the shot. Loyd’s fifth 3-pointer of the game swished home as violent wartime flashbacks flooded through the mind’s eye of Wings fans back home. The Aces held Dallas without a field goal in the game’s final 3:55.

The Aces were without star center A’ja Wilson, who is in the WNBA’s concussion protocol, offering Dallas a unique opportunity to sneak away with a win over a quality opponent on the road. But this Wings team just can’t find the grit to put a team away when they have the chance.

Arike Ogunbowale canned a 3-pointer from the top of the key midway through the first to give the Wings a 15-12 lead, but Dallas missed its next six shot attempts over the next four-plus minutes as Vegas went on an 8-0 run to take control of the game and a 24-18 lead after one.

The Wings don’t do well when playing from behind, and they’ve backed themselves into a corner in each of their 11 losses to start the 2025 season. There have been moments of inspiration, but they have come too few and far between. Ogunbowale hit her second 3-pointer, on a smooth little step-back move, with 8:12 left in the second, then found NaLyssa Smith open under the basket two minutes later to pull Dallas within 31-29 and force an Aces timeout.

The Aces outscored the Wings 9-2 out of that timeout, including two open spot-up 3-pointers from Loyd, who scored 16 of her 21 points in the first half. Young led all scorers with 28 points for the Aces in the win. Ogunbowale scored just two points in the fourth quarter but led the Wings with 26 in the loss.

Source: https://www.mavsmoneyball.com/2025/...th-quarter-dallas-wings-collapse-in-las-vegas