Arike Ogunbowale collected 17 points and eight assists and Teaira McCowan recorded 15 points and 13 rebounds on Sunday afternoon, lifting the visiting Dallas Wings to a 97-84 victory over the Washington Mystics.
Natasha Howard scored 15 points and Crystal Dangerfield added 14 to help the Wings (18-14) win their third game in a row overall and third in four meetings with the Mystics this season.
Satou Sabally contributed nine points and 10 assists and Maddy Siegrist added 11 points off the bench for Dallas, which enjoyed a decisive 44-26 edge in points in the paint. The Wings shot 49.3 percent from the floor (34 of 69) and 42.9 percent from 3-point range (9 of 21).
Washington’s Natasha Cloud scored 22 points before fouling out and Brittney Sykes added 16 points and five steals. Ariel Atkins had 13 points for the Mystics (15-17), who saw their two-game winning streak come to a halt.
Washington’s Elena Delle Donne sat out due to a hip injury sustained in the team’s 83-79 victory over the Indiana Fever on Friday.
At halftime, the Mystics inducted two-time Olympic gold medalist and three-time All-Star Nikki McCray-Penson into the team’s Hall of Fame. McCray-Penson, who spent four seasons with Washington, passed away on July 7 after battling breast cancer. She was 51.
Kalani Brown made a layup pushed Dallas’ lead to 50-34 with 4:33 remaining in the second quarter. Washington countered with a 27-15 run to bridge the second and third quarters, capped by Queen Egbo’s layup.
The Wings did not wilt, however. McCowan converted a three-point play to ignite a 19-3 run and give Dallas an 84-64 lead after three quarters.
Sykes sank a 3-pointer to ignite the Mystics’ 8-2 surge to start the fourth quarter. The momentum was short-lived, however, as Ogunbowale made a pair of free throws and Veronica Burton drained a 3-pointer to effectively seal the win.
–Field Level Media