​Just over one week ago, the Dallas Wings and New York Liberty met for a high-profile matchup in Brooklyn. Going in, I suggested the showdown served as test of both teams’ quality, wondering how the outcome would further influence where Dallas and New York are in the championship contender conversation.For the second time this season, the Wings answered affirmatively, claiming a confidence-boosting win over the Liberty in Barclays Center.Tonight, Dallas goes for the 3-0 season series sweep over New York, welcoming the Liberty into Arlington (9 p.m. ET, Prime Video).AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementSince that second matchup between the two teams, the Wings have only confirmed what the result said about them: This team, in fact, is for real, a status cemented by their current five-game winning streak.The Liberty, likewise, have failed to ease the anxieties inspired by that loss. Subsequent losses to the Minnesota Lynx and Toronto Tempo—albeit on a very tough road back-to-back—have New York staggering through their second three-game losing streak of the season, raising further skepticism about whether they can finally get it together and begin to resemble the contenders they are supposed to be.Or maybe, their time at the top of the league is expiring?The juxtaposition between the ascendant Wings and lagging Liberty possibly is indicative of an emerging truth in the WNBA: Youth wins.AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementForget tropes about the importance of experience, young legs, youthful energy and the zest required to navigate the rigors of a 44-game season might trump the lessons accrued through years in the league.I’m not quite sure I totally believe this. As I wrote last week, I’m still inclined to give the Liberty the benefit of doubt—because they’ve done it before.Similarly, shreds of skepticism still surround my evaluation of the Wings.Is a team really going to go from worst in the league to a long playoff run? As Zack Ward wrote before the season, teams blessed with back-to-back No. 1 picks in the WNBA Draft have eventually enjoyed great success, but that success hasn’t been instant. Although the Wings already are outpacing their predecessors, it would still be shocking if they became the outlier of all outliers.AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementBut, it’s also hard to ignore how the Wings, often led by Paige Bueckers, have found the resources, reserves and resiliency to turn close games into comfortable wins and come through in clutch situations. In comparison, the Liberty have increasingly demonstrated an inability to find the extra oomph needed to separate themselves at key moments.For instance, since their last meeting, both teams have played the Toronto Tempo, a team that, until they defeated the Liberty, did not have a win over a playoff team. Dallas, which first played Toronto in Montreal, persevered through a back-and-forth game before ultimately winning with relative ease, powered by 34 points from Bueck