When Maddy Siegrist Finally Gets Her 2025 Moment, She Nearly Watches It All Fall Apart
Sometimes basketball has a cruel sense of humor. Just when you think you’ve got the script figured out, the game decides to flip it upside down and laugh at your expense. That’s exactly what happened Tuesday night in Indianapolis, where Maddy Siegrist finally got her chance to shine, only to watch her Dallas Wings nearly blow a 17-point lead in what can only be described as the most Wings way possible to win a basketball game.
Maddy Siegrist Steps Up When Dallas Needs Her Most
After riding the bench for over two months, Maddy Siegrist got the call she’d been waiting for. Her first start since June 6 couldn’t have come at a better time for a Wings team that had been playing like they were allergic to winning, dropping five straight games. And wouldn’t you know it? The former Villanova star decided to remind everyone why she was drafted in the first place.
Siegrist tied her career high with 22 points, shooting with the confidence of someone who’d been storing up all that bench energy for exactly this moment. It was the kind of performance that makes you wonder why it took this long to get Siegrist back in the starting lineup. But then again, this is the Wings we’re talking about, and they’ve never met a roster decision that couldn’t be overthought.
Working alongside Li Yueru, who added 20 points off the bench, the Wings actually looked like they knew what they were doing for three and a half quarters. Paige Bueckers was threading passes like she was trying to audition for the Harlem Globetrotters, finishing with 16 points and eight assists. Everything was clicking. The offense was humming. Life was good.
The Fourth Quarter Collapse That Almost Ruined Everything
But if you’ve watched the Wings play this season, you knew the other shoe was about to drop. And drop it did, right onto their collective heads with the force of a meteor.
With 6:38 left in the fourth quarter, Bueckers found Myisha Hines-Allen for a three-pointer that gave Dallas a commanding 78-61 lead. Seventeen points up with less than seven minutes to play. Game over, right? Time to start thinking about finally breaking that losing streak?
Not so fast, my friend, as the great Lee Corso would say on ESPN’s College Gameday.
What happened next was the kind of fourth-quarter meltdown that would make even the most seasoned choker blush. The Wings managed to score exactly three more points the rest of the way. Three. In six and a half minutes. Li Yueru’s three-point play with 2:31 remaining was their lone field goal down the stretch, which is the basketball equivalent of forgetting how to breathe.
Meanwhile, the Indiana Fever, playing without their injured superstar Caitlin Clark for the 20th time this season, decided this was the perfect moment to remember they actually knew how to play basketball. They ripped off 13 straight points to open what became a game-ending 19-3 run that had Wings fans reaching for the antacids.
Kelsey Mitchell Nearly Breaks Wings Hearts
Kelsey Mitchell, who finished with 24 points and apparently has ice water in her veins, capped off Indiana’s miraculous comeback attempt with a tough shot in the lane with 33.4 seconds left. Suddenly, what should have been a comfortable victory was now an 81-80 nail-biter that had everyone wondering if the Wings were about to Wings this thing up spectacularly.
The drama wasn’t over. Bueckers, who had been playing like a maestro all night, chose the worst possible moment to miss a jumper from the free-throw line with 14 seconds left. The Fever grabbed the rebound, and you could practically hear Wings fans collectively holding their breath.
With 1.7 seconds left, Mitchell got the ball in the corner with a chance to complete one of the most improbable comebacks in WNBA history. Her three-point attempt hit the side of the backboard, which was probably the most merciful thing that happened to Dallas all night.
What This Win Actually Means for Dallas
Let’s be honest here. This wasn’t exactly a masterpiece of basketball execution. The Wings took a team missing their best player, built a 17-point lead, and then nearly found a way to lose anyway. In most universes, that’s not something you celebrate. But when you’re 9-24 and have lost 11 of your last 13 games, you take victories however they come, even if they arrive with all the grace of a three-legged elephant on roller skates.
For Maddy Siegrist, this game represented vindication. After spending months watching from the sidelines, Siegrist proved she belongs in this league and can be a key contributor when given the opportunity. Her 22-point performance wasn’t just about the numbers; it was about seizing a moment and making the most of it, even when everything around her seemed determined to fall apart.
The win moves Dallas to 9-24, which sounds terrible until you remember they’re not mathematically eliminated from anything except respectability. Every game matters when you’re trying to build something, and nights like this, despite the near-disaster, can serve as building blocks for a team desperate to find an identity.
The Road Ahead for Siegrist and the Wings
As the WNBA season winds down, questions remain about what Dallas can build around. Maddy Siegrist certainly made her case for more minutes and more opportunities. When Arike Ogunbowale returns from her knee injury, the Wings could have a potent offensive combination that might actually resemble a competent basketball team. Look for the Wings to get back to incorporating Siegrist a lot more down the stretch of the season in clutch moments like on Tuesday night.
The Fever, meanwhile, continue to play shorthanded and scrappy, making teams work for every victory. Mitchell’s 24-point effort, combined with Natasha Howard’s double-double, showed they’re not about to roll over for anyone, regardless of who’s unavailable.
Tuesday night’s game was a reminder that in sports, nothing is ever as simple as it seems. Maddy Siegrist got her moment and made the most of it, but she also learned that in the WNBA, no lead is safe and no victory comes easy. Sometimes the best you can do is hold on tight and hope your opponent’s desperation shot hits the side of the backboard instead of the bottom of the net.
