ARLINGTON, Texas — The Dallas Wings (6-5) opened their two-game homestand against the surging Los Angeles Sparks (9-3).
The Wings faced hardship early in their latest matchup against the Minnesota Lynx on June 19th. They were forced to catch up for the majority of the game and even entered the fourth quarter down 21 points.
Despite cutting down the lead to four points with just under 90 seconds left in the fourth, their efforts were too little too late and fell to the Lynx 91-83.
Tonight was different—much different.
The Wings probably had their best start of the season.
Although Liz Cambage was the only scorer for a few minutes, the Wings started to move the ball much better and took off from there. Allisha Gray and Azura Stevens tied with eight first quarter points.
Tonight was Stevens’ first career start for the Wings and she did not disappoint. The UConn star hit back-to-back threes in the first quarter and played some impressive help defense. She finished tonight with a career-high in points (13).
Cambage continued to have a dominating night leading the Wings with 14 points on (6-7) shooting from the floor. You could see the fire in her eyes as she marched down the court and took charge.
Even when Skylar Diggins-Smith only posted a total of two points in the first half, she could easily lean on Gray, Stevens, and the rest of the bench to pick up the slack.
Diggins-Smith collected a total of six points to end the game but made up for it by dishing out a career-high 11 assists.
Dallas took a commanding lead 47-33 going into halftime.
Entering tonight’s game, the Los Angeles Sparks boasted a 5-game win streak and the best overall record in the league.
Their big three – Nneka Ogwumike, Candace Parker, and Chelsea Gray—averaged at least 15.5 points per game. However, the Wings limited the trio to a combined 16 first half points. Parker and Gray finished with a combined 18 points, which is very unlike the duo.
The Sparks could’ve used a spark to get their offense going for the second half.
Los Angeles started to show a little promise with a few quick buckets by Ogwumike to start the second half but there was a clear disconnect on the court. The Sparks were making bad passes and forcing shots.
Dallas capitalized on their struggles and it truly paid off.
Wings Head Coach Fred Williams clearly saw his team putting in work and gave the bench more minutes.
The other great Aussie on the team, Cayla George, checked in for Cambage and drained back-to-back threes. Leticia Romero checked in for Diggins-Smith and also found early success from beyond the arc.
The Wings were showcasing all around teamwork on both sides of the ball—something they’ve struggled with this season.
Los Angeles could not get over the hump of getting a shot off in enough time. At least three shot clock violations were issued to the Sparks. Poor clock management and not moving the ball enough ultimately led to their demise.
Dallas posted their largest margin of victory of the season defeating Los Angeles 101-72.
LEADING SCORERS:
N. Ogwumike – 17 points, 3 rebounds, 1 assist.
L. Cambage – 20 points, 5 rebounds, 1 assist.
UP NEXT:
Sue Bird and the Seattle Storm come to town for a Sunday matinee. Tip off is set for 3:00pm CT.
