By Dorothy J. Gentry
Sports Editor
Photos: Dallas Wings
It was a sold-out crowd Wednesday night at College Park Center.
It was the second trip to Dallas for WNBA star Caitlyn Clark, whom many came to see.
It was the final game before the WNBA All-Star and Olympic Games break.
And it was a chance to get back in the win column.
With so much at stake, the Dallas Wings did what they had to do.
In their final game for the next month (due to the breaks) – the Wings defeated the visiting Indiana Fever 101-93. Dallas closed the game on an 8-0 run to erase a six-point fourth-quarter deficit and score the win. Six Wings players scored in double figures. Arike Ogunbowale and Odyssey Sims combined for 48 points – tying for the team high with 24 points apiece.
The much-needed win for the last place Wings (6-19) was a total team effort said Head Coach Latricia Trammell.
“The defense got the stops when we needed them to; we had three shot clock violations and balanced scoring. I just know we did really really well and I am proud of them.
“This is one of the things…going out on a win, I told the team let’s build on this now,” Trammell said. “Let’s go and reset, take some time for our selves and come back for second half and make a really big push.”
In addition to her 24 points, Sims – an Irving, Texas native who graduated from MacArthur High School – added a team- and season-high nine assists while Ogunbowale had seven assists to go with her 24 ponts.
Natahsa Howard finished with 17 points, a season-high eight assists and seven rebounds; Kalani Brown was a perfect 6-of-6 from the field en route to matching her season high with 13 points; Teaira McCowan finished with10 points and five boards; and Jacy Sheldon had 11 points.
The Fever saw four players finish in double figures with Aliyah Boston going for a game-high 28 points, while Caitlin Clark finished with 24. Clark, who played all 40 minutes, tallied a WNBA-record 19 assists.
Wednesday’s game marked the Wings’ final game before teams go on hiatus for the 2024 WNBA All-Star Game and the Olympic Games. Ogunbowale was voted to her fourth consecutive All-Star Game which airs Saturday at 7:30 p.m. on ABC. This year’s contest will be played at Footprint Center in Phoenix, Ariz., with the WNBA All-Stars facing the USA Basketball Women’s National Team.
For the 2024 Paris Olympic Games, Wings forward Satou Sabally will represent Germany. Germany qualified for the Olympics for the first time after Sabally led the squad to wins over Brazil and Serbia at the Olympic Qualifying Tournament in Brazil in February. Germany is in Group C at the Paris Games, which also includes the United States, Japan and Belgium. They will open play in France on July 29 against Belgium at 6:30 a.m. CT. The Germans will then face Japan on Aug. 1 at 4 a.m., before wrapping up Group play against Team U.S.A. on Aug. 4 at 10:15 a.m.
The Dallas Wings resume play after the break on Aug. 16 at home against the Connecticut Sun. Tipoff is slated for 8:30 p.m. CT, with the game airing nationally on ION.
Dorothy Gentry is an award-winning journalist, PR pro and educator. A University of North Texas alum, she is the Sports Editor for Texas Metro News, Garland Journal and I Messenger.
