Wings’ Big Free Agency Swing Is Already Paying off in the Best Way Possible
Jessica Shepard was a role player on a very good Minnesota Lynx team last season. She averaged 20.9 minutes, 8 points, 7.3 rebounds, and 2.6 assists per game and only started 12 games when Napheesa Collier missed time due to an ankle injury. Other than that, she was one of Cheryl Reeve’s most trusted players off the bench.
Nevertheless, the Dallas Wings took a swing and decided to pay Shepard like a star on their revamped roster. She signed a two-year contract worth $2,050,000 and will make more than players like Nneka Ogwumike, Skylar Diggins, Kelsey Plum, Satou Sabally, and Jewell Loyd this season.
The Wings put a lot of faith into Shepard with that contract, and she has largely delivered to start the season. Shepard’s activity in the frontcourt has been key to the Wings’ transformation from one of the worst teams in the league to a competitive squad with legitimate playoff potential.
Jessica Shepard is off to a great start
Shepard started her Wings tenure with a near triple-double in the regular-season opener against the Indiana Fever. She recorded 13 points, 9 rebounds, 9 assists, and 2 steals. Much like the rest of the team, she struggled in consecutive close losses to the Atlanta Dream and Minnesota Lynx.
The six-year veteran bounced back quickly with a double-double against the Washington Mystics, recording 12 points, 16 rebounds, and 6 assists against a frontcourt rotation of Kiki Iriafen, Shakira Austin, Lauren Betts, and Angela Dugalic.
After that, Shepard finally recorded the triple-double that had been right at her fingertips twice already—the first in the W this season and the second for her career. She finished the Wings’ 99-89 win over the Chicago Sky with 18 points, 10 rebounds, and 12 assists. She did it efficiently, too, shooting 85.7% from the field and only committing one turnover. Only Li Yueru recorded a better +/- than Shepard.
Shepard currently leads the Wings in rebounds and assists per game and has been one of the team’s most reliable scorers next to Paige Bueckers and Arike Ogunbowale. She also ranks second in total assists among all forwards in the league, trailing Alyssa Thomas by eight, third in total rebounds behind Aneesah Morrow and Kiki Iriafen, and eleventh in points.
The Wings bet a lot of money on Shepard to help them win, and she has been a key pickup so far. The next three games will show how sustainable her impact is against some of the best teams in the league. The Wings will face the Atlanta Dream, New York Liberty, and Las Vegas Aces in consecutive games. All three of those teams have strong, star-studded frontcourts.
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Elaine Blum covers women’s basketball for On SI from Europe. She has been writing about women's hoops since 2023 and holds a Bachelor’s degree in English and Journalism and a master’s degree in American Studies with a focus on women’s and gender studies. She started playing basketball when she was 10 years old and won several league and state championships at the youth and senior level.