Dallas held on, but Portland made them sweat every last second of it. The Wings won 101-97, and the box score is a little misleading about how close the ending actually was.

What Happened in the Final Two Minutes

With about 2:33 left in regulation, Dallas led 91-88. A tight game, sure, but manageable. Then Portland's Karlie Samuelson hit a big three to pull the Fire within three, and right when Dallas looked like they'd answered, Azzi and Paige Bueckers drilled back-to-back triples to push the lead back to 99-90. Nine points. Looked like a comfortable close.

It was not a comfortable close.

Samuelson came right back with a steal that she converted into a layup, suddenly it was 99-97 with 32 seconds left, and the entire arena had a very different feeling. One possession. Dallas had to make free throws or this was going to overtime. Maddy Siegrist got to the line, made both, and the final settled at 101-97. That's the game.

Samuelson's late sequence, the three, then the steal-and-layup, was one of those runs that rewrites how a game is remembered. Portland didn't win, but that fourth quarter showed they can manufacture points in a hurry when they need to. That's a tell for future totals.

The Injury in Portland You Need to Know About

Before the fourth-quarter drama, Fire guard Sarah Ashlee Barker left the game early after tumbling out of bounds on a pass and had to be helped off the floor with a left leg injury. The severity is not confirmed yet in what I have in front of me. In the WNBA, where roster depth is thinner than any other major league and minutes are less distributed, one guard injury can move a spread by a point and a half before books even blink. Barker's status for Portland's next game is the number to watch. If she's out or limited, the Fire's backcourt depth question gets real fast, and the market will have an opinion on it.

Dallas Wins, But What Did We Learn About the Wings

Paige Bueckers had 17 points, five assists, three rebounds, and three threes through the fourth quarter when it was shown. She laughed off a three late in the game, which is either ice in the veins or a young star who doesn't yet know to respect the moment. Either way, that kind of composure in a road environment matters for how you price Dallas in close games going forward. Arike Ogundiabiye was aggressive getting to the line earlier in the fourth, and Siegrist made the free throws when it counted. Dallas has multiple ways to close, and that's a useful thing to file away.

The Night's Other Big Number: Indiana 123, Connecticut 88

Elsewhere on Wednesday, the Indiana Fever put up 123 points against the Connecticut Sun in a franchise-record performance. Caitlin Clark had 27 points and 11 assists. Kelsey Mitchell scored 23 and did something worth putting in the almanac right now.

checked the almanac: mitchell's 11th straight game with 3+ three-pointers made passed clark's own record of 10 straight, setting a new all-time wnba mark for consecutive games with three or more triples. real record, happened wednesday night.

For bettors, that Fever line is worth tracking. A team that just hung 123 on a conference opponent gets repriced, and if books haven't fully adjusted the Fever's team total or spread for the next outing, that's where to look first. The Connecticut Sun, meanwhile, absorbed an 88-point ceiling on their own side. That's a number worth remembering when Connecticut's next game total gets posted.

What I'm Watching Next

Two things. First, any update on Sarah Ashlee Barker's left leg. Confirmed miss is a market mover for Portland; confirmed availability changes nothing. Second, how the books reset the Dallas total after a game that went 101 on the winning side and featured a late-game offensive burst from both teams. This was a high-energy finish, and if the next Dallas line doesn't reflect their ability to score in bunches late, that's a conversation worth having. Nothing clears my number until I see those injury updates and the next posted totals, but the ingredients for a real edge are sitting right there on the table.

Entertainment with variance, folks. 21+ where legal. If the game ever stops being fun, step back and call 1-800-GAMBLER.