It was too much A'ja Wilson with the size advantage down low. The Dallas Wings narrowed a 20-point second-quarter deficit down to three but couldn't complete the comeback, as the reigning WNBA Champions Las Vegas Aces secured a 95-81 victory at College Park Center on Wednesday night. Arike Ogunbowale led the Wings (3-5) with 31 points, four rebounds, seven assists, and four steals, reinforcing her position as the league’s top scorer.
Ogunbowale was one of four Wings to score in double figures. Teaira McCowan achieved her third double-double of the season with 14 points and a season- and game-high 15 rebounds. Maddy Siegrist contributed 14 points and five rebounds, while Monique Billings added 12 points and six boards. Ogunbowale surpassed the 30-point mark for the third time this season, and her seven assists matched her season high.
Las Vegas (5-2) started strong, hitting over 63 percent of their shots in the first quarter while holding the Wings to 23.5 percent, leading 29-16. The Aces extended their lead to 20 points, 37-17, early in the second quarter.
Dallas responded by outscoring Las Vegas 25-10 to close the half, cutting the deficit to five, 47-42, with Ogunbowale scoring 14 points in the second quarter to ignite the rally.
The Wings pulled within three points early in the second half and were within four, 63-59, with 2:01 left in the third quarter. However, the Aces countered with a decisive 17-2 run to secure the win in the fourth quarter.
Dallas shot 37.8 percent from the field (28-74), 20 percent from three-point range (5-25), including McCowan’s first career three-pointer, and 90.9 percent from the free-throw line (20-22), their second-highest percentage of the season. Ogunbowale was a perfect 10-for-10 from the free-throw line, her fifth flawless performance of the season. The Wings won the rebounding battle 40-33. Kalani Brown and Stephanie Soares each grabbed four rebounds, with Soares tying her career best with four points.
A’ja Wilson led Las Vegas with a game-high 36 points and 12 rebounds, along with six steals and a block. Kelsey Plum added 20 points, and Jackie Young contributed 19 points and seven assists. The Aces shot 48.6 percent from the field and made nine three-pointers.
