With the score tied at 85 and less than three seconds remaining in the game against the Atlanta Dream, the Dallas Wings‘ defense lost track of Naz Hillmon at the arc. The Atlanta forward buried the shot that sealed an 88-85 win and stunned a Dallas team that had controlled much of the matchup. In his postgame remarks, head coach Latricia Trammell did not mince words about the defensive lapse.
“Loss of action up top challenges your communication with all the movement…little bit of slippage and a little bit of space is all she [Naz] needs,” said Dallas coach Chris Koclanes.
Hillmon capitalizes as Dallas falters late
Everything about the setup pointed to a Dallas victory. Atlanta was without Rhyne Howard due to injury, and Allisha Gray struggled through one of her toughest shooting nights of the season, hitting just five of her 12 attempts. On top of that, Brittney Griner‘s ejection after back-to-back technical fouls in the third quarter left the Dream without their veteran anchor.
But the Wings failed to slam the door. Hillmon, in the midst of a breakout campaign, poured in a career-high 21 points, 12 of them in the fourth quarter. Her timing could not have been more devastating for Dallas. The three-pointer in the final seconds capped a night in which Atlanta shot an efficient 52.4 percent from the field and hit 11 shots from beyond the arc.
For Dallas, the game underscored a recurring theme: defensive communication breaking down at critical moments. Despite their improved offensive flow behind Ogunbowale and Paige Bueckers, who continue to develop into one of the league’s more dynamic backcourts, the Wings have struggled to sustain the same level of execution on the other end of the floor.
The loss was particularly frustrating because it followed one of Dallas’ most dominant showings of the season against the Liberty. That performance had sparked optimism that the team was beginning to solidify an identity built on balance and precision. Instead, the inconsistency that has haunted their season resurfaced at the worst possible time.
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