Arike Ogunbowale scored 25 points as the visiting Dallas Wings surged ahead in the third quarter and extended their winning streak to four games with a 98-88 victory over the New York Liberty on Wednesday afternoon.
Satou Sabally added 15 points and seven assists as Dallas (12-9) won for the sixth time in seven games. Teaira McCowan collected 15 points and 12 rebounds, and former New York forward Natasha Howard contributed 14 points as Dallas outscored the Liberty 45-30 over the final 18:25 and scored 50 points in the paint.
Breanna Stewart scored 25 points but the Liberty (14-5) saw their four-game winning streak end, losing for just the second time in 10 games. Sabrina Ionescu scored 19 of her 22 points in the second quarter before Dallas outscored the Liberty 29-16 in the third to jump ahead.
Ogunbowale scored nine points as the Wings shot 52.6 percent and scored 16 points in the paint for a 25-20 lead through the opening quarter.
Ionescu exploded after a scoreless opening quarter to connect on 6 of 7 shots as the Liberty took a 51-49 lead by halftime.
Ionescu’s fifth 3-pointer gave New York a 56-51 lead and forced a Dallas timeout 61 seconds into the third. Dallas quickly regained its footing and countered with a 15-4 run to take a 66-60 lead on Ogunbowale’s 3-pointer with 5:07 left.
Dallas continued rolling and forced another New York timeout when Crystal Dangerfield’s 16-footer extended the margin to 71-60 with 3:56 left. Another basket by Ogunbowale made it 75-62 with 1:56 left and Dallas carried a 78-67 lead into the fourth.
Dallas took an 83-67 lead on a basket by McCowan with 8:40 left. A 3-pointer by Marine Johannes got New York within 86-77 with 5:13 to go before Dallas finished it off.
–Field Level Media
