By Alyssa Merritt

In an intense, hard-fought matchup, the Dallas Wings turned their early misfortune into a memorable win over the Washington Mystics, 89-72, at the College Park Arena in Arlington, TX. Despite a sluggish start, the Wings showcased their resilience and versatility, rallying back from an early 7-0 run by the Mystics.

“You know what that stands out,” Head Coach Latricia Trammell said.  “I think there’s a lot that stands out. This was definitely a great team win. Rebounds. I mean we outrebounded them 54 to 24, that’s a great thing. The assists, we had 25 assists.”

The first quarter saw a slow burn on offense for both teams. The Wings were carried early by Natasha Howard and Satou Sabally, who both clocked 6 points, contributing to the Wings’ early scoring efforts. Shatori Walker-Kimbrough was the leading scorer for the Mystics in the quarter, also totaling 6 points. Despite this, the Wings, struggling with early turnovers, trailed 18-14 at the end of the first quarter.

In the second quarter, the Wings regained their footing, outscoring the Mystics 23-15, and they finally edged ahead at 6:44, leading 22-20. The Wings managed to sustain their lead, ending the half leading, 37-33. Sabally and Howard were the scoring leaders for the Wings with 12 points and 10 points, respectively. Ariel Atkins  (15 points) and Tianna Hawkins (8 rebounds)  spearheaded the Mystics’ efforts in the first half.

The third quarter belonged to Arike Ogunbowale, as she came alive, exploding with her first points of the game, scoring 15 points in the quarter. The Wings’ momentum surged, leading to an 8-0 run with just 2:34 left in the quarter and extending their lead to, 67-49, at the end of the quarter. The Wings defense also played a key role, holding the in-form Atkins to just three points in the quarter. The Wings outscored Washington 30-16 in the third frame.

The final quarter witnessed an aggressive push from the Mystics as they tried to claw back into the game, bringing the Wings’ lead down to only 10 points with 3:23 left. The Wings managed to resist the Mystics’ late-game surge and closed out the win

The Wings put up an dominant rebounding display, collecting 54 rebounds against the Mystics’ 24,  to secure a 89-72 victory. The Wings limited Mystics’ Natasha Cloud to only seven points for the night. Atkins ended the game with 18 points for the Mystics, while Brittney Sykes added 15 points.

Sabally continued her phenomenal performance, achieving her 11th double-double of the season, which are the second most in the WNBA, with 27 points (9-14 FG), and an impressive 15 rebounds. With an explosive second half performance, Ogunbowale added 17 points to the win. Teaira McCowan also had a notable night with 10 points and 11 rebounds.

“Just how proud I was [of Sabally],” Trammell said as to what she told Sabally as she checked out of the for the final time.  “Because I know she hasn’t been feeling good, and to be able to come out and compete for her team, stay solid and continue to move forward in a positive way. Her leadership, she’s out on a mission, isn’t she? This season, this is the Satou that we knew [she could be].”

Next up, the Dallas Wings will travel to Las Vegas, where they will face the Aces on Wednesday night, July 5 at 9:00 p.m. CT. Fans can catch all the action live on Bally Sports Southwest Extra.