Jessica Shepard key as Bueckers touts playoff experience
Dallas Wings forward Jessica Shepard is a rebounding threat Golden State Valkyries coach Natalie Nakase flagged ahead of Game 1, as Paige Bueckers leans on NCAA and FIBA gold-medal experience for her first WNBA playoffs. The No. 7 Wings face No. 2 Golden State in a best-of-three first-round series.
Key Takeaways
- Paige Bueckers says college and Team USA pressure prepared her for her first WNBA playoffs with Dallas.
- Valkyries coach Natalie Nakase named Jessica Shepard among Wings threats to limit alongside Bueckers.
- Bueckers averages 20.9 points this season but landed on the AP All-WNBA Second Team, sparking fan backlash.
- Golden State swept Dallas 3-0 in the regular season and plans team defense to slow Bueckers.
Why does Jessica Shepard matter in Game 1?
While Bueckers is the headline act, Nakase made clear Golden State also wants to contain her teammates. Speaking before the first-round opener, the Valkyries coach said the plan includes limiting Jessica Shepard and Awak Kuier.
"We know Jess Shepard can rebound. Kuier, Maddy [Siegrist]. They have really aggressive guards that also can get in there," Nakase said, per The Dallas Morning News.
That secondary focus matters because Dallas needs complementary production if Golden State blitzes Bueckers. Wings coach Jose Fernandez said when Bueckers is blitzed, Dallas must attack four-on-three advantages with the right pass and cuts.
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How is Bueckers preparing for playoff pressure?
In comments to ESPN, Bueckers pointed to her 2025 UConn national title and recent FIBA World Cup gold with Team USA. She averaged 7.3 points on 55.2% shooting, including 42.9% from three, at the World Cup.
At UConn she played 12 Big East tournament games and 22 March Madness games, including two Final Fours and two championship games. She said playoff urgency is higher but players should not change their identity.
"The pressure is higher, especially in a best-of-three series," Bueckers told ESPN. "But as a basketball player, you want to embrace it and have fun with it."
Veteran Wings guard Alysha Clark has stressed staying connected through series ups and downs—advice Bueckers said resonates as she feels a familiar kind of pressure.
What makes the Wings-Valkyries series so tough?
Golden State, the league's top defensive team, went 3-0 against Dallas in the regular season and limited Bueckers in those meetings. Veronica Burton and Gabby Williams particularly frustrated her, according to Dallas News reporting.
In an Aug. 17 loss, Bueckers scored 21 points on 8-of-18 shooting with seven turnovers and was 1-of-5 from three. Nakase said stopping her will require "team defense," calling her one of the best scorers in the world.
Separately, the Associated Press named Bueckers to its All-WNBA Second Team after she averaged 20.9 points, 4.1 rebounds, 5.9 assists, and 1.0 steals. Fans on X called the snub from the first team "disrespect" and "ridiculous," as reported by Yahoo Sports.
AP's first team included A'ja Wilson, Caitlin Clark, Olivia Miles, Kelsey Mitchell, and Breanna Stewart. Wilson was named Player of the Year. Bueckers, the 2025 No. 1 pick, helped Dallas rebound from a 10-win season into the playoffs for the first time since 2023.
For Jessica Shepard and the Wings, the path starts with surviving Golden State's physical, connected defense—and for Bueckers, treating each possession like the championship moments she has already lived.