By: Jonathan Donville

Star power and defense helped the Dallas Wings on Tuesday as the they defeated the Phoenix Mercury by a score of 77-62 at the Footprint Center.

The big three of Arike Ogunbowale (23 points), Satou Sabally (18 points) and Natasha Howard (19 points) scored 60 of Dallas’ 77 points in the game, approximately 78% of the total points. Meanwhile Dallas held Phoenix to the lowest point total of any opponent this season, including just 11 points in the fourth quarter.

“There’s nothing better,” said Head Coach Latricia Trammell of having the star talent at her disposal. “They’re the finishers. They’re the leaders on this team. They’re the voice in the locker room. They’re the culture. They’re the players that we want, that’s going to help move this organization forward in a positive way.”

In that fourth quarter, the Wings used a 14-0 run to put the game away. The Mercury’s Sug Sutton scored to make it a three point game, 63-60 with just 8:09 remaining in the fourth quarter. Phoenix would not score another point until the final minute of the game, by then the score was the 15-point deficit which ended up being the final.

Despite a frustrating night of officiating for the Wings, they managed to stay poised and close when it mattered.

“We just didn’t focus on the bad things happening,” said Ogunbowale after the game. “We just have to come together, get some stops, get some scores, and that’s what we did.”

It was a great finish to an otherwise frustrating and certainly long road trip. The Wings took the road last Thursday and the battle with Phoenix marked their third game of the swing. With the team taking two tough losses in Los Angeles, there was added relief about getting a much-needed victory before heading home.

Ogunbowale was sharp throughout, but dominant in the final stanza. She scored nine points and added two assists in the fourth quarter alone, single handedly accounting for more points (scored and assisted on) than Phoenix as a whole.

For Trammell, it was a major step forward.

“I told the team afterwards, that was just major growth. We had a great first quarter. Hey, 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.”

Howard was also excellent for Dallas, showcasing the versatility that has defined her career. She finished with 19 points and 10 rebounds while defending multiple positions. With Teaira McCowan and Kalani Brown in foul trouble, Howard pitched in to help guard Brittney Griner, who is listed approximately seven inches taller than Howard.

In one sequence at the end of the third quarter, Howard scored five points in just 21 seconds after she hit a three pointer to end the period. Dallas would never relinquish the lead that they took into the break.

Dallas flew out of the gates, scoring 12 points in the first three minutes and 50 seconds of the game. However, the offense dried up soon after and the Wings scored just 12 points in the entire second quarter.

One specific issue were turnovers. While Dallas has had one of the lowest turnover rates in the league throughout the young season, Dallas threw too many passes into the courtside section in the first half, ending the half with nine turnovers.

Dallas finished the game with 17 turnovers, leading to 21 Phoenix points. Sabally and Howard made five each, but impacted the game in other ways to make up for the shortcomings.

“Our turnovers were too high,” said Trammell. “We’ve got to make sure we take care of the basketball. We had 17, which is way too many.”

Dallas used their defense and athleticism to get out on the break as well, crushing the Mercury by 12 fast break points to just two. Transition defense has been a focus for Trammell and her staff recently, and that attention to detail paid off in a significant way in this one.

Dallas also continued their trend of dominating the glass on both ends. The Wings came away plus six in offensive rebounding and plus 12 in total boards, leading to them shooting nine more field goals than the Mercury.

With the victory, the Wings lifted their record to 7-8, good for sixth place in the league. Meanwhile, the loss was the sixth straight for the Mercury, who sit in last place in the league standings with a 2-11 record.

“I’m going to enjoy this win right now,” said Trammel. “I’m going to celebrate this with the team. And then we’ll get back to the drawing board and get ready to go home in front of our electrifying fan base and take care of business at home.”

Dallas finally returns home to College Park Center on Sunday afternoon to battle with the Washington Mystics.