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Dallas Wings

Wings Take on Mystics in Nation's Capital

June 8, 2019 - Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA)
Dallas Wings News Release


WASHINGTON, DC - After a loss to the Indiana Fever, the Wings (0-3) will look to regroup against the Washington Mystics (3-1) tomorrow at 2 p.m. CT in the St. Elizabeth's Entertainment and Sports Arena. The game can be viewed on WNBA League Pass. Dallas has gone 3-3 against Washington in its last six meetings and holds a 32-29 overall advantage in the all-time series. The Wings will look to build off momentum created by forward Isabelle Harrison, who exploded for a game-high 18 against the Fever. It was the fourth-year pro's 23 game in her career where she's collected double-digit scoring figures and the most points she's scored since June of the 2017 season.

The Wings saw a new starting lineup in Indianapolis, including Kayla Thornton, Glory Johnson, Theresa Plaisance, Allisha Gray and Brooke McCarty-Williams. It was the first career start for McCarty-Williams and both Dallas rookies have started at least one contest so far this season.

Always on the lookout for an opportunity to send the ball into the stands, the Wings collected five blocks against Indiana, a pair of them coming from Harrison and have had at least five blocks in every game this season. The Dallas second unit has also continued to shine for the youngest team in the WNBA and has outscored its opponent's bench in every contest this season, scoring at least 30 or more points per game.

WNBA veteran Elena Delle Donne leads the Mystics scoring effort at a 14.3 points per game clip and is followed by Kristi Toliver and Emma Meesseman at 13.3 points per game, respectively. Delle Donne also leads the rebounding charge, averaging 7.3 boards a game, 4.3 of them coming on the defensive end. Fifth-year player Natasha Cloud hands out 6.3 assists per game, on average.

ROOKIE, ROOKIE, ROOKIE CAN'T YOU SEE

Rookies Arike Ogunbowale and Brooke McCarty Williams had quite the WNBA debut and continue to be solid producers for the Wings. Ogunbowale was the only starter to eclipse double-digit scoring figures in the Wings two games against the Dream and Lynx she is the third highest scoring rookie in the W. McCarty-Williams is the League's eighth leading rookie scorer and got her first career start at Indiana on 6/7. Her 14 assists through three games are also the second most of any rookie.

IT WAS DENTYNE, COACH

Coach Agler's reputation for defense has continued in Dallas. The Wings' defense is holding its opponents to 75.0 points per game, the fifth-best defense in the league. Dallas is also holding its opponents to 27.0 field goals made per game on an average of 65.3 attempts, second and third best in the league, individually. Opponents are also only making 4.0 three-pointers a game, the best in the W. The ball also don't lie to Dallas. Opponents are shooting 76.1 percent from the charity stripe against the Wings.

DON'T GET CAUGHT WATCHING THE PAINT DRY

47.3 percent of the Dallas Wings' scoring this season had come from inside the paint. The Wings have scored 30 or more points in the paint in each contest this season, including 30 against the Fever, 32 against the Lynx and 34 against the Dream.

BLOCKS AND BOARDS, WATCH YOUR FRAME SHAKE UP

Spearheaded by swatters Isabelle Harrison, Azura Stevens and Glory Johnson, the Wings have averaged 6.0 blocks per contest, placing them third best in the league. Harrison, Johnson and Kayla Thornton have paced the team with rebounds so far this season, helping the Wings average 36.0 a game, fourth best in the league. The Wings are averaging a league best 14.0 offensive rebounds a game, helping them average 14.0 second chance points per game, the third best average in the league.

HERE'S A FUN FACT FOR YA

Kayla Thornton and Brooke McCarty-Williams rank third and sixth, respectively, for points per game by players who are in the WNBA but went undrafted.

ON THE MOVE

The Dallas Wings traded center Liz Cambage to the Las Vegas Aces in return for guard Moriah Jefferson and forward Isabelle Harrison. The deal also included the Wings picking up Vegas' first and second round picks from the 2020 draft. The Wings made another deal the same day, acquiring Imani McGee-Stafford from the Atlanta Dream for the Wings' 2020 third round pick. Jefferson, 25, averaged 5.4 points a game in 2018 after returning from injury halfway through the season. Harrison, 25, who took a medical leave of absence during the 2018 season, started 33 contests for San Antonio in 2017. McGee-Stafford, 24, appeared in 29 games for the Dream last season, starting two of them.

WELCOME TO TEXAS, COACH

The Dallas Wings hired two-time WNBA Champion Brian Agler to serve as the team's head coach on December 18, 2018. Agler joins the Wings with more victories than any other coach in U.S. women's professional basketball history. Agler brings more than 30 years of coaching experience to Dallas, including 12 years as a WNBA head coach. Before coming to Dallas, Agler was the head coach of the Los Angeles Sparks. Compiling an 85-51 overall record, Agler's guided the Sparks to four playoff appearances and the 2016 WNBA Championship. Agler's stint in LA also included back-to-back 28-6 seasons in 2016 and 2017 and a second appearance in the WNBA Finals following the 2017 campaign.

ALLOW ME TO REINTRODUCE MYSELF

The Dallas Wings resigned the duo of Kayla Thornton and Glory Johnson this off season. Thornton, who claimed a championship with the KB Stars of the WKBL before reporting to camp, started 32 of last season's 34 contests. The UTEP product averaged 9.2 points and 4.0 rebounds, all career-high marks, while shooting a career-best 44.7 percent from the field and 86.0 from the foul line. Johnson, entering her seventh season in the WNBA, has spent her entire career with the Wings organization. She appeared in 29 outings last season, averaging 8.0 points, 6.0 rebounds and 1.3 assists. Johnson's 1,448 total rebounds give her the second most total boards in franchise history.

A ROOKIE NOW

Dallas' first round draft pick, No. 5 overall, Arike Ogunbowale (Notre Dame) became a household name when she stunned UConn and Mississippi State en route to the Irish capturing the NCAA Championship in 2018 and was vital to the South Bend squad returning to the championship game the following year. She passed Dallas' own Skylar Diggins-Smith this season to become the program's all-time leading scorer. The 2018 and 2019 All-American was All-ACC First-Team in the same years.

TEXAS FOREVER, Y'ALL

The Wings made moves off the court by welcoming Texas Capital Bank as the team's marquee jersey partner. The community efforts of the two organizations started last month with the revitalization of the Sarah Wilke Youth Center, part of the Wesley Rankin Community Center in West Dallas, and will continue with more community events throughout the season and partnership.

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