SEATTLE (Interstat) — Jessica Shepard recorded a triple-double, and the Dallas Wings defeated the Seattle Storm 103-91 in a WNBA game Wednesday night at Key Arena. Dallas improved to 25-17, while Seattle fell to 8-35. The announced attendance was 14,200. Shepard finished with 20 points, 11 rebounds and 12 assists in 33 minutes, directing Dallas from the frontcourt and helping the visiting Wings control the game after a fast start. Dallas led for most of the night and answered each Seattle run before pulling away in the final minutes.

Shepard was the top star for Dallas. She scored around the basket, knocked down midrange jumpers and repeatedly set up teammates. Paige Bueckers added 25 points, five rebounds, seven assists and two blocks in 30 minutes. Arike Ogunbowale scored 23 points with four rebounds and six assists in 35 minutes. Awak Kuier contributed 14 points, four rebounds, two assists and three blocks in 30 minutes. Maddy Siegrist scored 11 points with four rebounds and one assist in 28 minutes. Odyssey Sims added five points in 10 minutes. That production gave Dallas several options and made it difficult for Seattle to focus on one scorer.

Seattle got strong individual performances. Dominique Malonga led the Storm with 29 points, eight rebounds and one block in 34 minutes. Awa Fam added 22 points, seven rebounds and one block in 35 minutes. Flau’jae Johnson scored 21 points with six rebounds and four assists in 35 minutes. Natisha Hiedeman had 10 points and 14 assists in 32 minutes. The Storm’s young frontcourt kept them within striking distance, and Hiedeman’s playmaking created repeated scoring chances. Seattle could not, however, get enough stops in the closing minutes.

Dallas set the tone early. Shepard and Bueckers combined on the opening possessions, and the Wings built a 29-12 lead after the first quarter. Bueckers made a layup, a 17-foot jumper, a 10-foot fadeaway and two free throws in the opening period. Shepard added an 8-foot driving floating jump shot, two layups, a 14-foot jumper and a 15-foot jumper. Ogunbowale hit a 23-foot 3-pointer and a running layup. Kuier made a 2-foot layup and a 25-foot 3-pointer. Malonga scored Seattle’s early points, but Dallas’s defensive pressure and transition offense gave the Wings a commanding early cushion.

Seattle responded with a 30-point second quarter, cutting the deficit to 49-42 by halftime. Johnson scored repeatedly from midrange, and Fam hit three 3-pointers in the period, including a 26-footer just before halftime. Malonga also scored inside, and Hiedeman found teammates for open looks. Dallas weathered the surge behind Bueckers, who made a 12-foot jumper, a 20-foot pullup and a free throw after a flagrant foul. Ogunbowale added four free throws and a layup, while Kuier hit a 26-foot 3-pointer. The Wings took a seven-point lead into the locker room.

Seattle’s third-quarter push came after Dallas took its largest lead. Malonga hit a 23-foot 3-pointer and a 2-foot layup, while Fam made two free throws to trim the margin. But Dallas answered with a 7-0 run. Siegrist made a 25-foot 3-pointer, Ogunbowale scored on a layup and Shepard converted a driving layup. Later in the third, Aziaha James made an 18-foot pullup jumper and a free throw, and Odyssey Sims added a driving layup. Ogunbowale closed the quarter with a driving layup, and Shepard made a free throw. That sequence kept Seattle from taking momentum into the fourth.

Dallas rebuilt its lead after the break. Ogunbowale opened the third quarter with a 25-foot 3-pointer, and Siegrist followed with a layup and a 25-foot 3-pointer. Shepard continued to score and facilitate, while Kuier protected the rim. Dallas led 76-63 after three quarters. Seattle made one more run in the fourth. Malonga scored on a turnaround jumper and two free throws. Hiedeman made a driving layup, a 10-foot two-point shot and later a running layup and free throw. Fam hit a 22-foot 3-pointer, and Melbourne’s 26-foot running jump shot with 4:19 remaining brought the Storm within 90-82.

The Wings answered immediately. Shepard drove for a layup, Bueckers hit a driving floating jump shot, and Kuier knocked down a 24-foot 3-pointer. Bueckers then drilled a 25-foot 3-pointer with 57.8 seconds left for a 100-91 lead. Siegrist finished the scoring with a layup and free throw with 27.9 seconds remaining. Dallas’s late execution turned a competitive game into a double-digit win and prevented Seattle from completing its comeback.

Shepard’s triple-double was the centerpiece. She had 12 assists, often finding Bueckers, Ogunbowale and Kuier for open looks. She grabbed 11 rebounds. Her recent form has been strong. On Sept. 21 at Phoenix, she had 17 points, 19 rebounds and six assists. On Sept. 19 against Phoenix, she had 10 points, six rebounds and five assists. On Sept. 17 against Los Angeles, she had 13 points, 11 rebounds and 12 assists. Dallas has won two of its past three games. The Wings lost at Phoenix 86-87 on Monday, beat Phoenix 87-82 on Saturday, and beat Los Angeles 97-77 on Thursday.

Seattle’s season has been difficult. The Storm lost to Las Vegas 98-77 on Sept. 20, lost to Golden State 70-57 on Sept. 19, and lost to Las Vegas 114-77 on Sept. 17. Seattle is 8-35. Malonga, Fam, Johnson and Hiedeman gave the Storm productive minutes, but the team could not overcome Dallas’s efficiency. In the previous head-to-head meetings this season, Dallas won 112-110 in overtime at Seattle on June 22 and beat Seattle 79-56 at Dallas on June 1. This victory gave Dallas another win in the series and kept the Wings moving as the regular season winds down.

Interstat’s game simulator projected a final score of Dallas 98, Seattle 94. Interstat’s ELO system had projected Dallas with a 72.2 percent probability to win. Dallas had been installed as a pregame favorite with a spread of -9.5. The total of 194 points finished above the 170.5 over/under line.