INDIANAPOLIS — Arike Ogunbowale scored 10 consecutive points down the stretch and finished with 28 to help the Dallas Wings beat Indiana 77-76 on Sunday for the Fever's seventh-straight loss.
The 2023 All-Star starter has recorded the most 20+ point games in the WNBA this season along with Breanna Stewart, Jewell Loyd, A’ja Wilson and Napheesa Collier through the conclusion of Sunday's game.
Indiana had a chance to win after Teaira McCowan missed two free throws with 16 seconds to play, but Lexie Hull's 3-pointer from the left corner bounced off the rim as time expired.
“I was praying to God – I don’t know if this is the best thing to – I was praying to God that it would be missed to be honest, and I hoped someone was there to contest without fouling, and they were so that was a good thing," Dallas Wings head coach Latricia Trammel admitted in her postgame interview.
Ogunbowale, who had 14 points in the fourth, made a 3-pointer to tie the game at 68 with 4:37 to play and 94 seconds later she made three free throws for a 75-68 advantage. In-between she had a pair of mid-range jumpers.
The Fever scored six straight before Ogunbowale had another jumper for a 77-74 lead but Nalyssa Smith's putback with 35 seconds to go made it a one-point game again.
Natasha Howard had 16 points, eight rebounds, three steals and three blocks for the Wings (10-9).
Aliyah Boston led Indiana (5-14) with 18 points and Smith had 17. The Fever are 1-6 at home.
Dallas dominated the third quarter before the Fever rallied and there were nine ties and 13 lead changes.
"We knew they were a good team. You know the record doesn't really show. They've been in every game that they lost -- it's only been by a couple points. We knew we couldn't take them lightly," Ogunbowale said of the Fever.
"We played well in the first and we kind of dropped the last couple of quarters. But in the fourth we got it together. And in this league you know whether it's by one point or 20 points, a win is a win," Ogunbowale said. "So, we just had to get it done."
The first half of the season is coming to end -- the Wings will take on the Minnesota Lynx at Target Center on Wednesday, July12. Tipoff is scheduled for noon. You can watch on Bally Sports Southwest.
Then, it's the All-Star game break, which Trammell says, the team will be focused on positives of the first half of the season and what they need to focus on the build momentum in the second half of the season.
"We talked about the passing and sharing of the ball, the spacing was really good, getting stops when we needed. So, just reiterating that and continuing to show them what’s working," said Trammell.
