PHOENIX — (AP) — Arike Ogunbowale scored 23 points, Natasha Howard had 19 points and 10 rebounds and the Dallas Wings beat Phoenix 77-62 on Tuesday night for the Mercury's sixth straight double-digit loss.
Howard sank a wide open 3-pointer with two seconds left in the third quarter for a 56-51 lead. After Phoenix got within 63-60 with 7:30 remaining in the fourth, Dallas closed on a 14-2 run — including 12 unanswered points.
Satou Sabally secured her 10th double-double of the season with 18 points and 12 rebounds for Dallas (7-8), which has won three straight in the series. Sabally also had a career-high six assists.
Brittney Griner scored 20 points for Phoenix (2-11). Michaela Onyenwere added 12 points and Diana Taurasi was held to six points on 2-of-7 shooting. Sophie Cunningham (back) and Megan Gustafson (concussion) did not play.
WHAT THEY SAID
Head Coach Latricia Trammell
On her thoughts about bench effort…
“Well, it was just a great team win. You know, we had 20 assists on 30 made field goals. We shared the basketball. We outrebounded them by 12. We got to the free throw line. We handled the adversity. So, I told the team afterwards, major growth. We had a great first quarter, yea look at that, we had a great fourth quarter. And so, we just did some of those little things that we’ve been preaching. And I just love how they kept locked in, just the players sitting on the bench talking to one another, staying locked in mentally after a long road trip. I’m just so proud of this team.”
On what she emphasized in practice to gain a win in tonight’s game…
“Well, we were just talking about it, watched it on film. You’ve got to remember we traveled yesterday, so just going into practice and keep reiterating what we’re trying to accomplish and letting them see it on the film. We can’t do much practice, I mean, about an hour yesterday. But again, a lot of film sessions and just the will to win.”
On her mindset going into next couple of games…
“Well, thanks for reminding me about the losses. I’m going to enjoy this win right now, for sure. I’m going to celebrate this with the team, and then we’ll get back to the drawing board. Get ready to go home in front of our electrifying fanbase and take care of business at home.”
On how the team handled adversity in the fourth quarter today in comparison to other games…
“Yea, I think our turnovers were too high. You know, we got to make sure we take care of the basketball. We had 17 which is way too many, so, we got a little careless at certain times and that’s where the timeouts came in handy. But, again we’ve just got to clean that up, that’s the next area of emphasis when we get back home.”
On how it feels to be going home after a long road trip…
“I cannot wait. We just said that- I looked at the team, and I said, “Let’s go home,” and they all cheered. So, it’s time, it’s been a great road trip. We’ve grown in this journey but it’s nothing like going home.”
On what it’s like having star power in Arike Ogunbowale, Satou Sabally and Natasha Howard
“There’s nothing better. I’ve said this on numerous occasions, these are the best players in the world. A lot of people say it’s our big three, but we really have a big team that play well together. They’re the finishers. They’re the leaders on this team. They’re the voice in the locker room. They’re the culture. And they’re the players we want to help move this organization forward in a positive way. So, I cannot say enough about this team but especially about the three you just mentioned.”
UP NEXT
The Wings will return home to College Park Center to take on the Washington Mystics on Sunday, July 2 at 2 p.m. CT for the team’s Hometown Heroes game with national coverage on ABC.
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