The Dallas Wings are off to their first 2-0 start since the franchise was based in Detroit 16 years ago.
Veteran Natasha Howard, who was about to turn 16 then, is a big reason why.
Howard contributed 16 points and nine rebounds to Friday’s 95-91 victory at Seattle and will shoot for her second double-double in three games Sunday as the Wings visit the Chicago Sky.
“She is that vet leadership. This is her,” Dallas coach Latricia Trammell said. “If you follow her on social media, she said this is her family. It feels right to her. Even when she came off the court at one point (Friday) just so I could give her a little break, I looked at her and I said this is your season. And she’s embracing that.”
In her first season with the Wings — and 10th in the WNBA overall — Howard has taken quickly to her role as a stabilizer both on and off the court.
In Seattle, she complemented a balanced scoring attack led by Arike Ogunbowale (26 points) and Satou Sabally (17 points, 10 rebounds). Crystal Dangerfield, who with Howard was acquired from New York in an offseason trade, scored 17 points, while Jasmine Dickey added 10 off the bench.
Chicago (2-1) is coming off Friday’s 71-69 loss to Washington in its home opener.
The Sky trailed by 16 in the third quarter but rallied to tie the game.
“[We wanted to] chip away,” said Chicago’s Kahleah Copper, who had 12 points. “We never thought we were out of the game. We had this togetherness and this pride that we were going to get into the game.”
Chicago stuck around behind Marina Mabrey’s 19 points and a sound floor game from Courtney Williams, who had 13 points, nine rebounds and five assists.
The Sky nearly overcame committing 21 turnovers and a spate of injuries. Frontcourt players Morgan Bertsch and Rebekah Gardner left the game in the closing moments of the first and second halves, respectively.
Sky coach James Wade said after the game that both players were being seen by team doctors, but he couldn’t offer an update.
The Sky won two of three from the Wings last season. The teams split their two meetings at Wintrust Arena.
–Field Level Media
