By: Alyssa Merritt

In an exciting matchup on Sunday afternoon at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indiana, the Dallas Wings edged out the Indiana Fever by one point, 77-76.

“I told them in one of the timeouts, I said, ‘You know what separates good from the great? … If you want to be in that championship [discussion], you’ve got to win on the road,” Head Coach Latricia Trammell stated after the win . “So that’s something that we talked about, and these players always respond. I mean, they find moments to make big plays at the best time possible.”

The game started off promisingly for the Wings, who, coming off an impressive victory against the league’s top-ranked team on Friday, were looking to keep their winning streak alive. Satou Sabally opened the game, making an and-one play in the paint to kick off the scoring for the Wings. Crystal Dangerfield, delivering an efficient performance, chipped in with six of the team’s 13 points in the opening minutes. The Wings’ offense caught fire with an 8-0 run at 5:13, taking the lead by eight points. Switching to a zone defense to protect the rim, the Wings finished the first quarter shooting 60% (9-15 FG) from the field and a 10-point lead, 27-17.

The second quarter saw the Wings extend their lead to 11 points but saw a reversal in fortune as the Fever began to apply pressure. Following a timeout, the Fever went on a 12-0 run, to bring the game within one point at the 2:50 mark. The Wings Teaira McCowan finally put an end to the Fever’s surge, hitting a critical shot, giving Dallas a narrow lead at 34-31. However, the Wings struggled with turnovers and lost momentum as they neared the end of the quarter. With their shooting accuracy dropping to just 23.5%, the Wings allowed the Fever to tie the game at 38-38 heading into halftime.

By the half, Arike Ogunbowale had emerged as the Wings’ leading scorer with 8 points, while Aliyah Boston led the Fever with a total of 12 points.

The third quarter was equally challenging for the Wings, whose offensive struggles continued as turnovers plagued their performance. The Fever capitalized on this, going on a 7-0 run and taking an eight-point lead. Yet, Dallas found their wings late in the quarter, responding with an 8-0 run of their own to tie the game at 59.

Entering the fourth quarter, the Wings focused on their inside game and rim protection, but early fouls threatened key players, Sabally and Natasha Howard. The turning point arrived when Ogunbowale stepped up, igniting the offense with eight straight points, regaining the lead for the Wings. Ogunbowale scored 14 of the team’s 18 points in the final frame.

The Wings held a one-point lead, and behind a strong defensive effort for the final 16.4 seconds denied the Fever a chance to snatch victory. In a last-second three-point attempt from the Fever’s Lexie Hull to steal the win, the shot bounced off the rim, securing another clutch win for the Wings, 77-76.

“The the resilience, the growth, mentally, physically, and emotionally for that matter,” Trammell said of her team’s ability to win a close game. “But I think it’s finishing. If you remember early in our season, we would get down score wise and would struggle to come back. It’s more of laying our head down and trying to find that competitive spirit that it’s going to be okay and make every possession count, and they have done that, they do not give up. They play until the end and that’s one of the reasons that we’ve won the last three games.”

Ogunbowale stood out for the Wings, recording her 11th 20-point game of the season and finishing with a total of 28 points and five assists. Howard contributed significantly as well, ending the game with 16 points and eight rebounds. For the Fever, Aliyah Boston led the way with 18 points and eight rebounds, while NaLyssa Smith added 17 points.

The Dallas Wings will now turn their attention to their next match against the Lynx in Minnesota on Wednesday, July 12, hoping to carry their winning momentum forward. Fans can catch the game live on Bally Sports Southwest at 12:00 p.m. CT.