Arike Ogunbowale recorded 27 points and four steals to help the Dallas Wings notch a 76-65 victory over the host Seattle Storm on Wednesday night.
Satou Sabally had 18 points, nine rebounds and three steals as Dallas (15-11) won for the ninth time in the past 12 games. Teaira McCowan added 12 points for the Wings.
WNBA scoring leader Jewell Loyd put up 31 points for Seattle (6-20) despite missing 5:04 of the first quarter due to a right ankle injury. The 30-point outing was Loyd’s eighth of the season.
Ezi Magbegor added 14 points and nine rebounds for the Storm, who made 40.6 percent of their shots overall and went 6 of 20 (30 percent) from behind the arc.
The Wings shot 36.4 percent from the field, including 8 of 22, also 36.4 percent, from 3-point range. Dallas held a 44-30 rebounding edge and collected 17 offensive boards. The Wings’ Natasha Howard grabbed 12 rebounds.
Notre Dame products Loyd and Ogunbowale each made five 3-pointers.
Dallas led 46-33 at halftime and increased the lead to 17 on Sabally’s layup with 2:06 left in the third quarter.
Loyd answered with a 3-pointer to start a 9-2, quarter-ending run for the Storm. Gabby Williams hit a floater at the buzzer to bring Seattle within 65-55.
Ogunbowale scored 13 points in the third, while Loyd had 12 points.
Sabally opened the final quarter with five straight points to push Dallas’ lead back to 15. However, Loyd scored six points during a 10-4 run as the Storm crept within 74-65 with 3:08 remaining.
McCowan made two free throws 64 seconds later, the final points of the contest.
Ogunbowale scored 14 first-half points to help the Wings lead by 13 points at the break. Loyd scored 13 in the half for the Storm.
After making a basket with 7:33 left in the first quarter, Loyd came down on the foot of Sabally and turned her ankle. Play continued as she was prone on the court in pain. When the action was stopped 11 seconds later, she was treated and eventually helped off the floor.
Just nine seconds after her return, Loyd knocked a 19-footer and was on her way to another high-scoring game.
–Field Level Media
