Arike Ogunbowale compiled 20 points and 14 assists, Paige Bueckers scored 20 points and the Dallas Wings held off the Breanna Stewart-less New York Liberty 92-82 on Monday in Arlington, Texas.
The Wings led by 30 points early in the third quarter and were up 85-62 at the end of the period. However, the Liberty pulled within six with 1:44 left in the game as Dallas went scoreless for more than six minutes before Bueckers and DiJonai Carrington each made two late free throws.
Luisa Geiselsoder added 14 points for the Wings (8-19), who entered the game with the second-worst record in the league. They won for just the second time in eight games.
The defending WNBA champion Liberty (17-8), who have the second-best record in the league, were playing their first full game without Stewart this season. The All-Star forward hurt her lower right leg three minutes into a 101-99 home loss to the Los Angeles Sparks on Saturday.
Jonquel Jones scored 18 points, Sabrina Ionescu had 17 and Stephanie Talbot and Isabelle Harrison added 10 each to lead the Liberty, who were beginning a four-game road trip that they hope will feature Stewart’s return at some point.
Ogunbowale scored seven points and Bueckers added five as the Wings raced to a 16-2 lead in less than four minutes. Leonie Fiebich made a layup for the Liberty to stop the surge, but Dallas took its biggest lead of the first quarter at 23-6.
Marine Johannes made a 3-pointer and another jumper to start a New York push that concluded with Talbot and Jones each making a 3-pointer to pull the Liberty within 31-19 at the end of the period.
The second quarter started much like the first. Grace Berger and Bueckers each made two field goals during a 10-1 run that expanded the Wings’ lead to 41-19. Dallas led by as many as 25 points before Natasha Cloud made New York’s first field goal of the quarter with 4:37 remaining.
The Liberty stretched the gap to 63-36 going into halftime.
–Field Level Media
