The Dallas Wings have been in the spotlight since before the 2026 season officially began, mostly focused on the UConn star combination of Paige Bueckers and Azzi Fudd. After a dissapointing season last year and a subsequent coaching change, the Wings look like a new team, and many outlets even regard them as a contender. Turns out, there's another piece to Dallas' roster that deserves to make headlines: Jessica Shepard.
Shepard put on a masterclass against the Las Vegas Aces on Thursday, recording 22 points, 20 rebounds, and 10 assists (the first statline of its kind in the WNBA), leading the team in each of the aforementioned stats. Bueckers and Fudd combined for 42 points on the way to the 95-87 win, but the former Notre Dame forward took over the game in a way no one expected going into it.
For much of the contest, Shepard controlled the offense, dishing out impressive assists most bigs could only dream of executing. Her court vision got Bueckers, Fudd, and Kuier easy looks early on, getting them hot—the team shot a combined 49% from the field and 45% from deep. She had no trouble playing at both the top of the key and down low, snatching rebounds and scoring tough buckets against four-time MVP A'ja Wilson and NaLyssa Smith, a young forward who’s also having a career year.
This isn't even the first time Shepard has taken over like this this season. On the 20th, she recorded another triple-double against the Chicago Sky with an 18 point, 12 assist, and 10 rebound performance. In case you forgot, the Sky's starting center is 6'7 Kamilla Cardoso, a player known for her rebounding and post defense.
Currently, these triple-doubles are the only ones to be recorded during the 2026 season.
Shepard is playing like an All-WNBA Forward
Shepard's unreal play has made her a clear favorite for the Most Improved Player Award: she's averaging 5 PPG, 4.1 RPG, and 3.9 APG more than she did last season with the Minnesota Lynx. In her time in Minnesota, she was able to contribute a fair amount, but between an unfortunate ACL injury during her rookie season and having to come off the bench behind five-time All-Star Napheesa Collier, she never had the chance to facilitate and mesh with a starting unit like she does now.
Shepard isn't just better than she was last year, though; she's playing like one of the best in the game.
Shepard currently leads the league in rebounding (11.4 per game) and is fourth in assists (6.5 per game). She has shown that she can compete with the best, and when she's hot, so are the rest of her teammates. As the Wings take this step into the W's highest tier, and Shepard is afforded the opportunity to settle into this star role alongside Bueckers, there's a very real possibility she will be named a 2026 All-Star, or even an All-WNBA player.
These kinds of stories are what make the new CBA so special. New roster spots, expansion teams, and increased pay give role players the green light to show off the abilities that once had no chance but to fester on the ends of benches, and fans have the privilege of watching the best basketball players in the world do their thing.
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