Wings pull away late to topple Sun, 91-81

By
Field Level Media
We may earn a commission from links on this page.
May 25, 2023; Los Angeles, California, USA; Wilson official basketball with WNBA logo goes through the net during the game between the LA Sparks and the Las Vegas Aces at Crypto.com Arena.
May 25, 2023; Los Angeles, California, USA; Wilson official basketball with WNBA logo goes through the net during the game between the LA Sparks and the Las Vegas Aces at Crypto.com Arena.
Image: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

Satou Sabally matched a career high with 28 points and Arike Ogunbowale scored 23 as the Dallas Wings used a late 10-0 run to pull away for their 91-81 victory over the visiting Connecticut Sun on Saturday night in Arlington, Texas.

Crystal Dangerfield added 16 points for the Wings (16-14), who shot 46.9 percent and recorded 22 assists to snap a three-game losing streak. Sabally also had eight rebounds, five steals and five assists for Dallas, which went 25-for-27 from the free-throw line.

Advertisement

Alyssa Thomas had 26 points and 10 rebounds, Tiffany Hayes scored 19 and Natisha Hiedeman added 15 for the Sun (21-9), who shot 45.2 percent from the field. However, the Sun went 7 of 14 from the free-throw line while losing back-to-back games for just the second time this season.

Dallas led 67-54 with 3:48 remaining in the third quarter when the Sun broke out for a 10-0 run — highlighted by 3s from Hayes and DiJonai Carrington (11 points). Thomas' bucket capped the spurt that got Connecticut within 67-64.

Advertisement
Advertisement

However, the Wings responded by scoring the next eight points — four from Sabally — spanning the end of the third and start of the fourth quarter for a 75-64 lead. Connecticut, though, scored 11 of the game's next 13 to get within two.

After Hiedeman's basket got the Sun again within two just under 4 minutes to play in regulation, Natasha Howard's layup gave Dallas an 83-79 edge with 3:30 remaining. Then Ogunbowale made four straight free throws and added layup, before Sabally sank two more from the line to seal Dallas' victory.

The teams shot a combined 21-for-37 in the first quarter, which was highlighted by a 7-0 Dallas run and five straight points from Howard.

The Wings led by two after one period, then used an 8-0 spurt to eventually push that advantage to 12, thanks to Sabally and Dangerfield.

Advertisement

However, Thomas and Hiedeman didn't let things get out of hand. The pair combined for 25 point in the first half while helping the Sun shoot 48.7 percent from the field. The Sun trailed by nine at the break.

—Field Level Media