Wings Power Past Lynx, 94 - 78
May 21, 2022 - Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA)
Dallas Wings News Release
Arlington, Texas - The Dallas Wings (4-2) defeated the Minnesota Lynx (1-6), 94 - 78, at College Park Center Saturday night.
After being down by two at the half, Dallas took command in the third quarter by scoring 36 points, the most the team has scored in a quarter since 2018 and the second most scored in a quarter in the WNBA this year. The duo of Arike Ogunbowale and Marina Mabrey combined for 42 points, as Mabrey finished with a game-high 22 and Ogunbowale scored 20 while also dishing out seven assists, her season-high.
As a team, the Wings tallied 39 rebounds despite no player having more than five, the second most rebounds in WNBA history by a team without a player grabbing more than five.
The Wings next head east to face the Connecticut Sun (3-1) on Tuesday, May 24, at 6:00 p.m. CT.
Notables:
Marina Mabrey led the team with 22 points, Arike Ogunbowale tallied 20 points, the first time this season the duo have both had 20 or more.
In her first game back with the team, Satou Sabally recorded 11 points and grabbed five rebounds.
The Wings grabbed a season-high 39 rebounds without a single player grabbing more than five, the second most team rebounds in WNBA history without a player having more than five.
As a team, Dallas held Minnesota to just four offensive rebounds, tied for the fourth fewest allowed in the WNBA this season.
It was the first time this season that a team had 12 players play in a game.
Dallas has made at least 10 free throws in every single game this season (17 tonight).
Marina Mabrey has scored 10 or more points in every single game this season (tonight: 22).
The Wings are now 2-0 in Commissioner's Cup games.
Zoom Recording: Dallas Wings Postgame (Head Coach Vickie Johnson, forward Satou Sabally, guard Marina Mabrey, guard Arike Ogunbowale):
https://us02web.zoom.us/rec/share/QgajsHw-jO6P4XkGX8anNlXhtbGDWw-FI1lgaLK13HC3VWLR6M9YzR-ca6EXQbPh.ucAm5MwpQpHy8XOJ
Head Coach Vickie Johnson
On the talk she had with the team at half that propelled the big third quarter...
"The most important thing is that we have to play together as a team. We have to make sure to move the basketball. We had nine assists at halftime, we finished with 20. It was very important that we moved the basketball. Play together. Defend - tough on defense and also finishing in the paint. It is one of the things that we talk about. Crashing the offensive boards. Crashing the offensive boards. We had 15 offensive boards and then finishing in the paint. That is what we talked about."
On Sylvia Fowles quiet second half...
"We have a lot of people to throw at her. We start with Izzy [Isabelle Harrison] or KT [Kayla Thornton], a smaller forward who is physical. Then we can come in with Big T [Teaira McCowan] and Charli [Collier]. I thought they did an amazing job. We can shrink and dig. We can trap, which we did. Sylvia is an All-Star. She is a Hall of Famer. There are a lot of things we have to do and give her different looks down the court. I also thought we did a great job on K-Mac [Minnesota Lynx forward Kayla McBride]. Mo [Minnesota Lynx guard Moriah Jefferson] played well. She made shots early. Then we took pride in defending her in the second half."
On the Arike Ogunbowale/Marina Mabrey backcourt clicking...
"It is great to see. We know that Mabrey and Arike are scorers. What I like to see are the assists. They had 10 assists together. Arike had seven by herself. It is very important for us to move the basketball. We know they can score, which they have been doing. Now it is important to get the rest of the team involved."
On the energy Satou Sabally brought...
"It is amazing to have her back. The energy she plays with - we were tired as a team. We were tired, but because she brought that energy - she lifted us up. Also, the fans - they did an amazing job being the sixth man. What she brings to the table is totally different from what we have at the four position. She is able to take it off the bounce, knock down the three, penetrate and dish and all those different things around the court. Push the ball in transition. It was great to see her. It is great to have her back and just get her more repetition. She was a little aggressive. She had five fouls. Got into with the referee a little bit. Welcome to the W. You have to make sure you come and are relaxed. Same thing with Mabrey. We do not want to get involved with the referees. They have a job to do. We have a job to do."
On the team's strong third quarter performance...
"We are very capable of it. It was great to see it at home. That is how we play on the road. We move the basketball. We play great defense, and we make shots. It was great to make shots tonight."
On Kayla Thornton's performance and the spark she provides...
"I thought she played great. We are asking to guard Sylvia Fowles. At the beginning she had two quick fouls, but when she came back in, she brought the energy, she made two big time threes and what she does defensively - putting pressure on the basketball. Switching on guards - she is an amazing player, and we ask a lot of her. She is doing an amazing job."
On the team's dominant third quarter...
"Moving the basketball. Pushing the ball in transition. That is one of [Minnesota's] weak areas is getting back on transition. We wanted to make sure we rebounded and got the ball in transition and shared the basketball and moved the basketball and that is what we did."
On the team's defensive effort...
"It didn't meet our expectations. Our goal is 47-plus rebounds a game. Offensive board is plus-13, so we kind of fell short in that area. Defensively, I thought we played well. I thought we stayed in place very well. We went to three different schemes with Minnesota. They are a great team. They are a great team. They are a vet team. They are a very - they are well oiled machine. They play very well together. I thought overall our defense was good. I still don't understand why we are letting teams shoot 44 percent and 45 percent from the three. That is something I will have to look at and see what is going on. It may be off our turnovers. They are getting easy baskets and such. I have to figure that out. Our goal is for the [opponent] to shoot less than 40 percent from the two and 33 percent from the three."
On what the team missed while Satou Sabally was overseas...
"I don't think we were lacking anything; I just think that she is an All-Star. When you put an All-Star in the lineup, clearly things are going to change. I think her energy level is huge for us. I think her ability to shoot the three, take people off the bounce, assess, and defend at a high level, is great for us as a team. But it was just great to have our whole twelve-man roster. It was great to see that and be able to sub in and out and keep our players fresh."
On the downside of overseas play...
"A little fatigue. But that is the cost of playing overseas. If you choose to play both leagues, I played in both leagues for 13 years, it is a transition. You have to rest, regardless, but if you choose to play in the WNBA, you choose to play in the WNBA. She had the opportunity to rest for a week, and she is fresh. She is in great shape, and she is ready to play."
On Arike Ogunbowale's leadership on the floor...
"I think Arike is a natural scorer but her ability to pass the basketball- she had seven assists. That's what we want to see. She had her 20 but we want to see the seven assists, because that's how she can make her teammates better."
On not making turnovers...
"We can't make careless passes. At the end of the day, we have to value the basketball. Our goal is to have 12 or less turnovers a game, so fifteen is a little too high. I think it is just a matter of taking care of the basketball. Off the top of my hand, I know of four unforced turnovers. It is about valuing and taking care of the basketball."
On the performance of the bench...
"I thought everyone came in and played their minutes hard. Everyone had a chance to touch the floor. I thought [Charli Collier] and [Teaira McCowan] did an amazing job. Teaira got in foul trouble early, but Charli came in and played her minutes hard. Our bench played well, they outscored them 27 to 12, and that's what we expect. We expect our bench to come in and change the game defensively and offensively score the basketball. So, I am very proud of our bench."
Women's National Basketball Association Stories from May 21, 2022
- Wings Power Past Lynx, 94 - 78 - Dallas Wings
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- Connecticut Sun Injury Report - Connecticut Sun
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