Arike Ogunbowale led seven Dallas players in double figures with 20 points Tuesday night as the fourth-seeded Wings advanced to the semifinals of the WNBA playoffs by eliminating the fifth-seeded Atlanta Dream 101-74 in Arlington, Texas.
Dallas swept the best-of-three series 2-0 after beating Atlanta in all three games of the regular season series.
Teaira McCowan added 12 points and 16 rebounds, her second double-double in as many games, and Satou Sabally chipped in 13 points for the Wings. Awak Kuier came off the bench to score 13. Reserve Kalani Brown had 12 points, Crystal Dangerfield finished with 11 and Natasha Howard contributed 10 points and nine rebounds.
Allisha Gray tallied 19 points for the Dream to go along with seven rebounds and six assists. Rhyne Howard scored 21 points but made only 9 of 22 shots after pumping in 36 points in Game 1 on Friday night. Cheyenne Parker added 15.
The game turned in the second quarter, when the Wings erased a one-point deficit by outscoring Atlanta 29-10 to establish a 52-34 halftime lead. Dallas used a 20-3 run to create separation, capped by Natasha Howard’s 3-pointer at the 2:02 mark for a 48-31 advantage.
The Dream never got closer than 13 over the game’s remainder, and when they did, the Wings immediately went on a 10-2 run to open up a 64-43 lead with 4:02 left in the third quarter. The game’s remainder was nothing more than a sprint to the final horn.
Atlanta coach Tanisha Wright talked before the game about limiting turnovers and playing with more poise. That didn’t happen as the Dream committed 18 miscues that Dallas cashed in for 25 points, 20 more than the Wings ceded off their 13 turnovers.
Atlanta made only 41.2 percent from the field as compared to the Wings’ 52.6 percent accuracy. Dallas also controlled the boards 41-28, thanks to another monster effort from McCowan. She averaged 14.5 points and 15 rebounds in the series.
The Wings will meet the defending WNBA champion Aces in a best-of-5 series that will start on Sunday in Las Vegas.
–Field Level Media
