Arike Ogunbowale scored a game-high 23 points, Natasha Howard and Satou Sabally each recorded double-doubles and the Dallas Wings rode a fourth-quarter run to a 77-62 road rout of the Phoenix Mercury in a Commissioner’s Cup matchup on Tuesday.
Dallas (7-8) held Phoenix (2-11) without a point for almost seven minutes in the fourth quarter, going on a 14-0 run that sewed up the Mercury’s sixth consecutive loss.
Brittney Griner scored the game’s first points — two of her team-high 20 — to give Phoenix its only lead of the night.
Dallas went on a 12-0 run following the opening basket and took a 24-13 lead into the second quarter. The Mercury battled back to force a 32-32 tie in the second period, but the Wings closed the first half with the final four points to take a 36-32 advantage into the locker room.
Dallas led for the duration of the second half, though Phoenix stayed within seven points until a game-breaking, fourth-quarter run.
Ogunbowale recorded six of her points during the pivotal, late-game burst. She paced three Wings scorers in double figures, with Sabally chipping in 18 points and a game-high 12 rebounds. Sabally also dished out a game-high six assists.
Howard added 19 points and grabbed 10 rebounds to help Dallas to a 37-25 advantage on the glass.
Phoenix — playing its first game under interim coach Nikki Blue, who replaced Vanessa Nygaard after her firing on Sunday — shot a woeful 3-for-20 from 3-point range. Michaela Onyenwere accounted for two of the made 3-point attempts, going 2-for-7 from deep en route to 12 points.
Moriah Jefferson scored another 11 points for the Mercury.
Brianna Turner scored only four points, but she posted a team-high seven rebounds and game highs of five steals and three blocked shots in the loss.
Tuesday’s win allowed Dallas to clinch the season series against Phoenix, with previous wins on June 7 and June 9.
–Field Level Media
