Arike Ogunbowale scored 23 points and Teaira McCowan added 17 points and 12 rebounds as the Dallas Wings ended an 11-game losing streak with a 94-88 victory over the visiting Minnesota Lynx at Arlington, Texas.
Odyssey Sims scored 18 points in her season debut as the Wings (4-13) trailed by 15 points midway through the second period but rallied to take a 71-70 advantage after three quarters. Sims, a Dallas-area native, was signed to a salary cap hardship contract following a number of injuries.
Minnesota came back to go up 83-82 with 4:44 to play before an Ogunbowale jumper put Dallas on top with 4:30 remaining and the Wings never trailed again.
Monique Billings had 14 points for the Wings, including nine in the second half.
Naphessa Collier scored 29 points with 11 rebounds for the Lynx (13-4), who had won six straight games and just defeated the New York Liberty for the Commissioner’s Cup crown.
Bridget Carleton added 17 points for Minnesota, Alanna Smith scored 15 and Kayla McBride had 11 in the loss.
The Lynx dominated the first six minutes of the game, forging a 20-10 lead after a 3-pointer by Carleton at the 4:01 mark as part of an 8-0 run of points scored just by the Minnesota forward. The Lynx led 28-15 after the opening quarter.
Minnesota pushed its lead to 45-30 in the second quarter when Smith canned a running shot from beyond the arc with 3:22 to play before halftime. The Wings finally found their stride, outscoring the Lynx 13-0 down the stretch to cut its deficit to 45-43 at the break.
Collier and Smith led the Lynx with 13 and 12 points, respectively, before halftime. Dallas stayed close thanks to 15 points and 7 rebounds in the half from McCowan.
Minnesota built its lead to five points midway through the third period until Dallas fashioned another surge. A 3-pointer and a floating jumper from Ogunbowale, the latter with 4:09 to play in the quarter, tied the game at 59-all.
The Wings shot 52.9 percent from the floor in the fourth quarter to win it.
–Field Level Media