Wings Win Over Mercury 84-79
Published on June 8, 2023 under Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA)
Dallas Wings News Release
ARLINGTON, Texas - The Dallas Wings (4-3) remain undefeated at home with a perfect 3-0 record following a 84-79 win over the Phoenix Mercury (1-4) at College Park Center.
Satou Sabally finished the night with a team-leading 24 points and 10 rebounds to record her fourth-straight double double. She becomes the ninth player in franchise history with four-straight double-doubles and first since Teaira McCowan in 2022. Sabally accounted for the Wings' first eight points of the matchup on two made threes and a layup. She recorded 10 points in the first quarter alone on 4-5 shooting and recorded 17 points in the first half, matching a career-high she set this year against Minnesota on May 30.
Kalani Brown got her first start of her W career, and recorded a career high 17 points and career high 15 rebounds to record her first-ever double double. Brown snagged two key rebounds in the final minute and a half to help the Wings secure the comeback win.
Rookie Maddy Siegrist scored a career high 14 points, recording nine in the first half alone and beating her previous high of six against Chicago (5/28). Siegrist led Dallas with a +/- of 19. She grabbed eight rebounds to finish third on the team just behind Brown and Sabally.
After signing with Dallas and joining the team this morning, Odyssey Sims made her 2023 debut with two and a half minutes to play in the first quarter. Sims dished out a team-leading six assists and recorded a +/- of 13. She made her first basket, a layup at 1:42 in the fourth quarter that aided the Wings' fourth quarter comeback.
Arike Ogunbowale totaled 17 points that included back-to-back clutch shots that tied the game and gave Dallas the lead in the final three minutes.
The Wings defense didn't allow a single Phoenix basket in the final 5:26 of the game, a span that saw Dallas score 10 points. The Wings held the Mercury to a season opponent low 11 points in the fourth quarter.
Dallas recorded 50 rebounds, including 15 offensive rebounds, with the total rebounds matching their 2022 season high (6/5/22), while holding Phoenix to just 26.
Dallas Wings Notes:
The Wings opened up the second quarter on a 7-0 run that lasted until 8:26 and outscored the Mercury 26-22 in the quarter.
Sabally and Brown combined to represent Dallas' second game this season with two double-doubles (last 6/2 at WAS, Sabally and Howard).
Dallas outscored Phoenix 21-4 in second chance points.
The Wings' bench outscored their opponent's bench for the second time this season, an effort led by Siegrist who had 14 points.
The Wings made it to the free throw line more than twice the amount of the Mercury (Dallas 27 FTA, Phoenix 13 FTA).
Veronica Burton recorded a career-high three blocks.
The Wings are now 3-0 in Commissioner Cup games, which means they have contributed $6,000 to the Dallas Chapter of Sisters Network Inc.
Up Next:
The Wings will close out their two-game set with the Mercury at home on Friday, June 9 at 7 p.m. CT featuring a national broadcast on ION. The game will also be the Wings annual Pride Night celebration and was announced as a sellout at tonight's game.
Score after 1st Quarter: Dallas 18, Phoenix 26
Score at Halftime: Dallas 44, Phoenix 48
Score after 3rd Quarter: Dallas 65, Phoenix 68
Final Score: Dallas 84, Phoenix 79
Zoom Recording: Dallas Wings Postgame (Head Coach Latricia Trammell, Arike Ogunbowale, Satou Sabally): https://we.tl/t-1qnLo6Lzs6
PHOTOS: Dallas Wings vs. Phoenix Mercury (June 6)
POST GAME QUOTES
On the energy tonight and if she thinks they won the rebound battle tonight...
Trammell: "Yeah, I was so proud of this group. I mean, I told them in the locker room. I just love this team. I mean it. They're willed to win and the love [they have] for each other, it makes my job a lot easier, but let let's talk about that. The rebound battle. That's something that we've been discussing for a long time. 50 rebounds to their 26. I mean, come on now. I'm surprised someone's not clapping right now. I mean that's really impressive. Satou, her fourth straight double-double, and she got beat up pretty good, but she kept going. No one's going to hold her down. She kept coming back. Let's talk about Arike to my left. She is a finisher. I mean, she is our franchise player. She's an incredible, incredible player. Even better person. But to make that little gap to give us that cushion when she was driving into the rim. That's fantastic. They're starting to defend her a little bit different, a little bit more aggressive. And like I told her to take it as a compliment. Let's talk about Maddy coming in with those valuable minutes. Five offensive rebounds. Finished with 14 points. And I'm going to save the last but not least, Kalani Brown. I mean, she got the drip chain, I know you're going to ask me. But, 15 rebounds, 17 points, played a lot with the five fouls. I could go on and. 21 second chance points to their four. I mean, there were just a lot of great things that happened in this game. And let's talk about those fans too. They kept that energy rolling for us."
On the spark Maddy Siegrist brought to the court...
Trammell: "A big spark. I mean, she 6-9 from two and two for two from the free throw line. As I mentioned, she had five offensive rebounds, three defensive, eight rebounds and her career high in the league of 14 points with a positive 19. That's all I need to say, and if I had been holding the mic, I'd drop it. I mean that. She just did an absolutely fantastic job and she's on that will continue to work even though at times her minutes are limited. She will continue to keep her value up and continue to keep fighting for this team, and I was really impressed with her like I was since day one."
In the fourth quarter, y'all held the mercury the only 11 points. What was working for y'all defensively to hold them to only 11 points.
On what was working for Dallas defensively in the fourth quarter...
Trammell: "The will to win. Energy. Locking down. We talked about Sophie in the first quarter had four threes. She did not make one in the second half. So, I think it was just more of that team defense and just bringing the grit and energy."
On what's working so well on their home court...
Trammell: "Well, it does help. We practice here and we're comfortable with it. Sleeping in our own beds always helps. And I'm going to give a lot of credit to our fans again because that's just an electrifying group. And I always say that communication brings energy. They brought it, and so we appreciate them very much."
On her thought on having Brittney Griner back on the floor...
Sabally: "It means a lot. I think that you cannot really grasp it in words how it really could have been if this would have continued. And it's just really amazing that she can play. Last year, we played without her and it was just weird. Something was missing and now everything is back to normal."
On what she saw from the team after halftime...
Trammell: "I'm going to say it again. The will to win. I mean they made adjustments, they changed. We didn't continue to do what wasn't working for us. I mean they made a conscious effort and I love the voice, the voices of the team tonight. I mean, everything was positive. Everyone was giving great player- I always call it cheap dog leadership. It was definitely A-Team effort. I mean everyone was locked in."
On what Odyssey Sims brought to the team tonight...
Trammell: "I think she ended with positive 13, right? I mean, she's a professional. She is definitely. She told me when she came off, when she missed a couple of frees, she looked and she says "I'm really a good free throw shooter," and she is. I mean, this is a young lady that just stepped on the floor, didn't know a play. Arike and Satou did a fantastic job of helping her and directing her where to go. But she's an athlete. She's a professional. I'm just so glad that she's with us."
On her teammates stepping up to help fill the missing pieces...
Ogunbowale: "That's huge, obviously, right now, with the people gone. But the people are coming back, so they have the confidence now they're playing a lot of minutes and now you know when starters come back and they come off the bench, they're going to be comfortable and ready and be able to be put in every position. So I'm so glad you know, if this was going to happen, I'm glad it's happening at the beginning of the season because, you know, we'll have everybody when we need it the most and everybody will have a lot of confidence."
On what was working for the team to be able to dominate on the glass...
Sabally: "I feel like I go into every game just to rebound. And I mean, obviously, it's my role and I take pride in that as well. I think we're all really good crashers and like collectively, Maddy came in and got these rebounds that were really important for us. So, I think it speaks to our team identity that we want to rebound and that's just what we do."
On keeping her composure and leading thr team. after getting physically beat up on the floor tonight...
Sabally: "Self-talk in my head just to stay calm. They're doing it for a reason."
On her thoughts when she got hit on the chin...
Sabally: "Well, at first I was shocked because, in my opinion, that's a really dirty play and that should have not happened. But my team was around me and I feel like I was just surrounded by protection. That calmed me down. So that was nice."
On the feeling of knowing that despite the adversity the team is showing up every night to win...
Arike: "I mean, how does it feel? I guess it feels good. Obviously, it's not ideal to be having people in and out and not knowing, you know, what's going to happen. But I think that speaks to just our chemistry and how we can have a new player come in and you know, not miss a beat and have players come in and out and not miss a beat because I mean. We have good chemistry, so I think that's what it shows."
Satou: "I think it shows the good chemistry too. I think it just shows that we're able to adapt, which is a really good thing because we're going to have to adapt throughout the season. It just actually shows a really good character trait of our team."
Trammell: "What these two incredible players, and more importantly, people, just said, and what I love about these valuable minutes that everyone is getting because when those other players come back, we're just going to be that much better."
Women's National Basketball Association Stories from June 8, 2023
- DeWanna Bonner's Record-Breaking 41-Point Performance Propels Sun Over Aces - Connecticut Sun
- Aces Fall to Sun 94-77 in Connecticut - Las Vegas Aces
- Storm Waives Kaila Charles - Seattle Storm
- Fever Waive Bernadett Hatar - Indiana Fever
- Special Lynx 25th Anniversary Auction this Weekend - Minnesota Lynx
- Wings Win Over Mercury 84-79 - Dallas Wings
The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.
