The Dallas Wings couldn’t hold onto to their lead and lost late in the fourth quarter to the Los Angeles Sparks, 76-74. The Wings fall to 6-7 on the season and 0-2 against the Los Angeles Sparks.
The Wings got out to a fast start, forcing Los Angeles into two quick timeouts, within the first four minutes of the game, as the Wings built a 16-4 lead. Arike Ogunbowale led all scorers in the first as she tallied 12 points on 5-7 shooting from the field. Dallas led 27-13 after the first quarter.
The second quarter saw LA find their footing and was much more competitive. The Wings 17-point lead was trimmed to nine points. Second-year guard Destini Henderson provided a spark off the bench for the Sparks as she totaled 10 points in the second quarter.
For the Wings, Natasha Howard had a strong second quarter as she patrolled the paint and recorded eight points and five rebounds in the second quarter alone. She finished the half as the leading scorer in the game with 15 points. Ogunbowale finished the first half with 14 points and four rebounds.
The Wings length played a major factor in the first half as the team recorded 26 of their 42 first-half points in the paint and held a 26-13 rebound advantage in the half. The Wings also finished the first half with 16 fast break points.
Basketball is routinely referred to as a game of runs, and the Sparks found their run in the third quarter as they were able to tie the game with 14 seconds remaining in the third period. Kalani Brown put back a missed floater, which put the Wings up two to end the third, with a score of 60-58.
Jordin Canada led the way for the Sparks in the third quarter as we she was able to attack the basketball and found her way to the free throw line. She finished the third quarter doubling her point total from seven to 14 points.
The pivotal fourth quarter got off to a good start for the Wings as they scored the first five points of the quarter, all five by Satou Sabally, who converted an and-one opportunity and then broke out and Ogunbowale hit her with a pinpoint pass for a breakaway layup.
The quarter continued and was back-and-forth with the teams exchanging baskets and the Sparks tying the game twice until they took their first lead of the game with 2:28 remaining, 72-70.
Nneka Ogwumike shined for the Sparks in the 4th quarter and was their go-to option in the closing seconds. She finished the game with 20 points and seven rebounds. Henderson provided 18 points off the bench for the Sparks.
The two teams will meet again on Sunday, again on national television as the game will be broadcast on ABC at 2 p.m. CT.