The Dallas Wings broke their seven-game losing streak with an 80-71 victory over The Golden State Valkyries on Tuesday at College Park Center. The game marked the Wings' first victory at home since the preseason. Several notable figures were in attendance, including NBA Atlanta Hawks point guard Trae Young and Geno Auriemma, a decorated basketball coach and Paige Bueckers' former head coach at the University of Connecticut. Three new members joined the roster before the game. In addition to two finalized hardship contracts, the Wings officially welcomed center Li Yueru, who came off the bench and recorded two points, two assists and two rebounds in her Dallas debut. The Wings opened with a physical first half, racking up 10 personal fouls. Every player except guard Aziaha James, who found hers later in the game, was whistled for at least one. “You saw it on the boards late, and just in general, but definitely a different physicality and desire about us right from the get-go,” head coach Chris Koclanes said. Rookie Guard Paige Bueckers found her stride among the chaos and drove the Wings to victory. Bueckers recorded 10 points and went 5-7 on shot attempts in the first half. Bueckers finished with 20 points and led in field goals, bolstered by a 50% average. She also recorded four defensive rebounds, two assists and four steals. “We want to continue to keep building, keep progressing and really just build off the energy and effort that we played with tonight,” Bueckers said. “I think if we continue to do that, great things will happen and the results will take care of itself.” Despite the Wings' intensity, the Valkyries were able to bring the game within two points at halftime. Golden State’s forward Kayla Thornton was responsible for the team’s perseverance. By halftime, Thornton put up 12 points for the Valkyries and held just over a 57% field goal average. The third quarter turned into a back-and-forth brawl, with the teams combining for 12 shot attempts in the first three minutes. Both sides traded baskets down the stretch, each in an effort to seize control. The physical play continued, with both Bueckers and forward NaLyssa Smith piling up three personal fouls. Smith finished with 10 rebounds and six points. The Wings dominated the final five minutes. The team maintained possession off of rebounds to reset the shot clock, which denied scoring opportunities for the Valkyries. The final whistle blew, and the Wings ended the drought. The arena erupted with cheers from fans as the team won its first home game at College Park Center in the 2025 regular season. The Wings go back on the road to face the Connecticut Sun at 6:30 p.m. Friday. The game will be live streamed through ION. “We don’t want to get complacent with this just being our second win, we want to keep building on this,” forward Myisha Hines-Allen said. “We got a tough Connecticut team coming up, so we’re just looking towards that team right now.” @kaleivie_ sports-editor.shorthorn@uta.edu

The Texas Rangers (34-36) opened up the home series against the Chicago White Sox (23-47) with a 3-1 win Friday at Globe Life Field. The Rangers were coming off a dominant offensive performance in a 16-3 win earlier this week against the Minnesota Twins. The Rangers continued to get hits in this game, but could not convert the chances into runs. Starting pitcher Shawn Armstrong pitched three complete innings with no hits and five strikeouts, four of which came consecutively in the second and third innings. Armstrong said working the same game plan and keeping things simple has worked for them this past month and a half. Relief pitcher Jacob Webb pitched two innings with one strikeout and only allowed one hit. He was given the win for the night. Designated hitter Josh Smith scored the first run of the game for the Rangers off a sacrifice fly by shortstop Corey Seager at the bottom of the first inning. Smith went on to score the only two other home runs of the night for the Rangers with the first in the third inning and the second off an RBI double from second baseman Marcus Semien in the fifth inning. “That’s our game,” Texas Rangers manager Bruce Bochy said. “Find a way to score some early runs.” The White Sox brought the game within two runs in the seventh inning off an RBI double produced by center fielder Luis Robert Jr. After a hitless inning by the Rangers, it was 3-1 going into the eighth inning. Chicago went hitless during the eighth inning, while Texas found its first hit since the fifth inning with a double by first baseman Jake Burger. However, a fly ball to right field from third baseman Josh Jung ended the inning scoreless for both sides. Closing pitcher Robert Garcia got the save and secured a 1-0 start to the series. Garcia pitched one full inning with three outs on 23 pitches. Garcia got the game winning strikeout with bases loaded. “I’ve said it since I’ve been here, I think every reliever here, we don’t care when we throw it. We just want a win,” Armstrong said. Outfielder Evan Carter left the game early with wrist soreness after making a diving catch in the fourth inning. He was replaced in the seventh inning by outfielder Sam Haggerty. Carter did not return to the game. Bochy said the team doesn’t think the injury is serious, and there is a possibility that Carter will play Saturday. The Rangers play game two of the home series against the White Sox at 3:05 p.m. Saturday and will close out the series at 1:35 p.m. Sunday. Both games will be available on Victory+. @wall035203 news-editor.shorthorn@uta.edu

The Dallas Wings fell 81-65 to the Minnesota Lynx on Sunday during a rematch of the season opener, pushing the team’s losing streak to five. Guard-Forward DiJonai Carrington opened the scoring in the eighth minute with two free throws. Both teams went back and forth with 3-pointers until the Lynx sparked a 7-0 run. Early turnovers gave the Lynx chances. Head coach Chris Koclanes said some of it came down to the team’s decision making. “We have to improve finishing around the rim,” Koclanes said. “Turnovers and missed layups lead to tough situations on the other end, and they definitely took advantage of those.” The Wings continued to miss shots before rookie guard JJ Quinerly scored on a layup. The Lynx would answer right back and produced four more points when Lynx guard Kayla McBride was fouled on a 3-point shot. With under two minutes left in the first quarter, the Wings brought the game back within seven points, as the Lynx carried a 24-14 lead into the first break. At the start of the second quarter, the Wings began playing a more cohesive game, getting stops and scoring points, but foul trouble allowed the Lynx to maintain possession. Wings guard Arike Ogunbowale said that in the last three games, she was getting trapped and hedged anytime she touched the ball, but in the second half of the game, she got a lot more freedom. Ogunbowale scored 17 of the Wings’ 25 points in the quarter as they went into the half down 46-39. The start of the third quarter had shot clock violations from both sides as neither team could mount much offense. Dallas was held scoreless for the first 4 minutes of the quarter before going on a 17-4 run. With 1 minute 54 seconds left in the third, the Wings forced a Lynx timeout before bringing the game within two points. The Lynx started the fourth quarter with a narrow 57-56 lead over the Wings. A 7-0 run caused Koclanes to call a timeout 3 minutes and 20 seconds into the final frame. Even with the stoppage, the Wings couldn’t find an answer as the Lynx continued to score. “Tough offensive stretches just keeps you having to grind and grind on the defensive end, and, a good team like that, they really take advantage of any type of slippage or missed coverage,” Koclanes said. This was the fourth game in a row the Wings played without rookie guard and No. 1 draft pick Paige Bueckers. Guard Tyasha Harris was also out due to injury while center Teaira McCowan was out on national team obligation. The Wings will head to the road to face off against the Phoenix Mercury at 9 p.m. Wednesday for another Commissioner’s Cup game. Ogunbowale said she couldn’t have expected the season to go perfectly right away, and that the team is still building and sticking together. “It's a long season, so we're just gonna keep getting better,” she said. @wall035203 news-editor.shorthorn@uta.edu

The Dallas Wings relocation to downtown Dallas has been delayed until 2027, with a new practice facility being built in the city in the meantime, The Dallas Morning News reported in May. The Wings previously announced plans to relocate to the Kay Bailey Hutchison Convention Center Dallas Memorial Auditorium under a 15-year agreement in 2024, set to begin when its contract at UTA’s College Park Center ends in 2026. Renovations to the center, which include converting the arena into the new Dallas Memorial Auditorium, began in May. Construction is now expected to extend into the second quarter of 2027. Despite the extended timeline, the Wings are planning to move to a temporary site in Dallas by April or May 2026, Dallas City Council Member Omar Narvaez said in a meeting Wednesday. The council also approved plans for the new practice facility. The $5.5 million project will be located on 1200 N. Cockrell Hill Road, according to City of Dallas documents. Construction for the new practice facility will begin on June 11, following a two-week delay. The team will continue to play at College Park Center until the move to Dallas is finalized. @kaleivie_ sports-editor.shorthorn@uta.edu

Coming off a loss in the season opener, the Dallas Wings (0-2) looked to bounce back against the Seattle Storm (1-1). However, their valiant effort wasn’t enough, falling 79-71 Monday at College Park Center. CPC was rocking from tipoff to the final buzzer with fans highly anticipating the team’s first win of the season. Dirk Nowitzki, Naismith Basketball Hall of Famer, and Victor Wembanyama, San Antonio Spurs center, were among a few notable attendees recognized by the team and fans. The Storm led by one at the end of the first quarter and created more separation by halftime. Seattle came out blazing, making nine of its first 11 3-pointers. With eight turnovers in the half, the Wings trailed 56-41 at the break. Rookie guard Paige Bueckers bounced back in her second game as a Wing. After a debut that fell short of expectations, she led the team in scoring with 19 points, and added eight assists, five rebounds, two steals and a block. After being double-teamed throughout the game, Bueckers said it’s probably smart to blitz and get the ball out of her hands and use fewer ball screens. “It’s just a different look that defenses are throwing at me, which is an adjustment,” she said. “[I will] just continue to learn and work through that.” Out of halftime, forward DiJonai Carrington sparked a quick 6-0 for the Wings, with tenacious defense leading to fast break opportunities. Dallas continued clawing its way back within striking distance. An 11-0 run highlighted by two 3-pointers by forward Maddy Siegrist helped the Wings cut the lead to five at the end of the third quarter. Dallas got within three points early in the fourth quarter but wasn’t able to limit turnovers down the stretch. Despite the loss, Siegrist said she was pleased with how the team responded after being down 15 at halftime. Guard Arike Ogunbowale struggled to get going and grew frustrated throughout the game. She shot 2-14 from the field and finished with eight points. Despite the performance, head coach Chris Koclanes said the game presented a “growth opportunity” for her. “Continue to coach her and empower her to continue to be aggressive, while also still playing within our structure and finding ways to impact the game when she’s not scoring,” Koclanes said. He said the team is working to consistently play at a high level. “If we’re going to compete night in and night out in this league, it’s going to take a level of hard work and effort that we have within us but hasn’t been demanded of us consistently,” Koclanes said. ”We’re working to establish that here, and we will get that night in and night out.” The Wings will play their first road game of the season in a rematch against the Minnesota Lynx at 7 p.m. Wednesday. “They’re still fresh on our mind. We just played them, so we’ll be familiar with a lot of their actions,” Koclanes said. “It’ll be fun to see if we can step up to the challenge.” @babyboimatt sports-editor.shorthorn@uta.edu

UTA baseball (19-31) capped its regular season with an 8-1 win over Seattle University (20-32) Saturday at Clay Gould Ballpark, building momentum for next week's Western Athletic Conference tournament. Under first-year head coach Mike Trapasso, the Mavericks navigated a season of highs and lows this spring. Trapasso helped steer the team through the transition and into postseason fulfillments. UTA finished 11-13 in WAC play, just shy of a winning conference record, securing the No. 7 seed for the upcoming tournament. Junior infielder Xavier Melendez led the Mavericks at the plate, posting a team-high .320 batting average out of those with at least two plate appearances per game and 75% of games played. Before the first pitch, UTA honored its 12 seniors with a Senior Day ceremony, presenting each with a framed photo and Mavericks jersey. “The obvious is that you’re happy for your seniors, and it's always good to win on Senior Day,” Trapasso said. ”Particularly when the reason you’re winning is because of the seniors and the way they played.” Despite the bolstering win against the Redhawks, the team couldn’t secure the series, dropping the first two games with a 6-2 loss Thursday and a 10-5 loss Friday. Pitching stood out at today's game, stopping Seattle in its tracks. Senior Jack Hagan recorded five strikeouts, and along with senior Aaron Calhoun, only allowed five hits in the game against 30 at-bats. Putting the seniors’ performances aside, Hagan tipped his hat to the defense, noting zero errors in the game. “Our defense today was absolutely outstanding. Being up there knowing that your defense got your back is probably the best feeling ever – you get more relaxed,” Hagan said. “You can give up a ground ball, a fly ball, and you know they’re gonna make the plays.” A strong start from the Mavericks gave them an early 3-0 lead, immediately countering a Redhawks run in the second inning by scoring again in the third. A Redhawk error gifted another run for the Mavericks in the seventh, followed by three more runs off loaded bases in the eighth. The team had no shortage of offensive pressure, with 10 hits to double the Redhawks’. All but one of the runs scored were produced from RBIs. Redshirt junior infielder Tyce Armstrong went 2-3 in the batter's box today and contributed three runs for the Mavericks. With the regular season wrapped up, UTA now turns its attention to preparations for next week’s WAC tournament, which begins Tuesday and will run through Saturday’s championship round. The full schedule isn’t finalized, but UTA is slated to face in-state rival Tarleton State University in Game 1 at noon opening day. “It’s just been a roller coaster of adversity and the kids have hung in there, and just to see them play well now,” Trapasso said. “Hopefully, we’re on the high end with the peak of the roller coaster next week and go from there.” @kaleivie_ sports-editor.shorthorn@uta.edu