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The 2025 WNBA season hasn't been kind to either the Dallas Wings or Chicago Sky, with both teams stumbling to 1-4 starts. But that hasn't stopped fans from tuning in.
With stars like Paige Bueckers and Angel Reese headlining the action, every game feels like a marquee event-even this early in the year.
The Sky snapped a four-game losing streak with a hard-fought 97-92 victory over the Wings at home, earning their first win of the season. The game showcased sparks of potential from both squads, with Arike Ogunbowale and Paige Bueckers nearly powering Dallas to a comeback win.
Sky jumped out early, leading 29-19 after the first quarter, but Dallas clawed back to keep things competitive. By the third quarter, a crafty hook shot by Ogunbowale tied things at 59, and Bueckers later set up the veteran guard for a bucket that gave the Wings their first lead of the night.
A rising duo emerges in Dallas
While the result didn't go their way, the Bueckers-Ogunbowale connection continues to strengthen. Ogunbowale was electric, finishing with 37 points, five rebounds, and seven assists. The rookie Bueckers had an all-around impact-15 points, five boards, three blocks, eight assists, and three steals.
"Just conversation...you know conversations with coach, conversations with each other, just like you said, building that chemistry," Ogunbowale said postgame when asked about their budding dynamic. "But yeah, if we're talking just me and Paige I think it's growing day by day."
Those initial questions about how two ball-dominant guards would share the court seem to be fading. In their lone win this season, Bueckers dropped a season-high 21 points on near-perfect shooting, with Ogunbowale adding 19. Head coach Chris Koclanes remains optimistic, saying, "The good thing is we get to see them again very quickly, so now we get to see how we can watch and what adjustments that we can make and see how we can respond."
That rematch comes this Saturday, and with home court this time, Dallas will look to strike back.
Meanwhile, Angel Reese keeps making history-even on quieter nights.
The Sky rookie had just six points, nine rebounds, and five assists, but made her mark by becoming the fastest player in WNBA history to reach 200 offensive rebounds, achieving the milestone in only 39 games.
She's also the fastest to 500 points and 500 rebounds, and continues to dominate on the glass, leading the league in offensive boards with an average of 6.0 per game and a total rebounding average of 13.0. If she keeps this pace, she could eclipse 1,000 career rebounds by August.
Despite the slow starts, the stars are shining. Whether it's the Bueckers-Ogunbowale tandem finding their rhythm or Reese adding another line to her record book, the foundation is there for something bigger to build as the season rolls on.