Jessica Shepard Just Did Something No WNBA Player Has Done in a Decade

The Dallas Wings walked into Barclays Center on Tuesday night and left with their third straight win, 88-77 over the New York Liberty. But the real story wasn’t just the final score. It was Jessica Shepard doing something the WNBA hasn’t seen in years.

Shepard put up 22 points, 12 rebounds, and 11 assists. That’s her third triple-double of the season. The rest of the league has zero combined. According to ESPN, she now has all three triple-doubles recorded in the WNBA this year. That’s not a typo. She’s the only one doing it.

The 29-year-old forward also joined Alyssa Thomas as the only players in league history with three triple-doubles in a single season. Thomas did it with the Phoenix Mercury. Shepard’s doing it in her first year with Dallas after playing a reserve role in Minnesota for five seasons.

The Wings finally have a closer who does everything

Dallas jumped all over New York in the second quarter, outscoring the Liberty 29-11 to build a lead they never lost. New York tried to fight back in the second half, but Shepard kept making plays. She scored. She rebounded. She found open shooters. And she did it all while the Liberty threw different defenders at her.

Paige Bueckers added 15 points, seven boards, six assists, and two blocks. Awak Kuier stuffed the stat sheet with 10 points, 12 rebounds, seven assists, and three blocks. Azzi Fudd chipped in 12 points and three steals. But Shepard was the engine.

First All-Star start, career-high numbers across the board

Shepard is averaging career-bests in points (14.6), rebounds (11.5), and assists (5.3). She got voted in as a starter for her first All-Star Game alongside Bueckers. Not bad for someone who spent five seasons coming off the bench in Minnesota. She signed with Dallas on a two-year deal and it’s already looking like one of the smarter moves of the offseason.

The Wings pushed the lead to 16 points at one point. They scored 18 points off 14 Liberty turnovers. Dallas improved to 14-8. New York dropped to 13-9.

Dallas goes for four in a row Friday against the Toronto Tempo. If Shepard keeps playing like this, they might not slow down anytime soon.