The Wings vs Fire matchup at Moda Center on Wednesday came down to one player's second-half takeover. Dallas held off a late Portland rally to win 101-97 — and the reason was Arike Ogunbowale.
The veteran guard was scoreless at halftime. Then she went on a run, pouring in all 24 of her points after the break. She finished 8-of-12 from the field, including 3-of-5 from deep. Meanwhile, Jessica Shepard recorded a triple-double with 18 points, 15 rebounds, and 10 assists.
Paige Bueckers added 21 points in her injury return after missing the previous game following a collision with LA Sparks forward Nneka Ogwumike. Meanwhile, Dallas's bench provided its starters scoreboard support as Maddy Siegrist contributed 14 points.
Still, the Wings nearly let their lead slip.
Dallas Outlasts Portland in Tight Wings vs Fire Showdown
Portland's full-court press forced costly turnovers in the final three minutes, cutting a 12-point Dallas Wings edge to just two with 33.8 seconds left. On Portland's side, Megan DiLeo led with 21 points and Bridget Carleton added 18.
But Dallas leaned on their defense to fend off the Fire's attack, and Siegrist subsequently sealed the win with two free throws and 0.7 seconds left.
"Obviously, we had some slippage at the end of the game, but we got stops when it mattered" Ogunbowale said after the game. "I think we’ve just been playing really aggressive, and it feels good going into the break like this."
Dallas now improves to 18-9 heading into WNBA All-Star Weekend, while the Fire falls to 11-16.
