Arike Ogunbowale scored a WNBA playoff-record 45 points, including a tying three-pointer with 4.1 seconds left in regulation, as the Dallas Wings beat the Golden State Valkyries 108-100 in overtime on Wednesday night, forcing a deciding Game 3 in their first-round series.
The seventh-seeded Wings delivered their season-saver at the College Park Center in Arlington, Texas, levelling the best-of-three series at 1-1. The decider is set for Friday night at the Chase Center in San Francisco, where the Valkyries won the opener by 24 points.
With Dallas trailing by three and the season slipping away, Ogunbowale took a pass from Paige Bueckers on the left baseline, dribbled to the corner and buried an off-balance three to tie the game at 93. Gabby Williams was called for an offensive foul on the inbound play after a Golden State timeout, but the call was reversed on replay, sending the game to a jump ball with 3.0 seconds remaining. Golden State's desperation heave missed everything.
Ogunbowale opened overtime by banking in a three, then struck again to put Dallas ahead for good at 103-100 with 1:46 remaining. The four-time All-Star scored 22 of her points in the fourth quarter and overtime, 11 in each period, surpassing both her previous playoff high of 24 and her career best of 41. She finished 12-of-23 from the field, 5-of-8 from beyond the arc and 16-of-18 at the free-throw line.
"We felt like we got pushed around out there when we played in San Francisco," Ogunbowale said. "I didn't know what I would score. I was going to shoot regardless because I just feel like seven shots isn't enough to win playoffs."
Bueckers, the 2025 No. 1 pick and Rookie of the Year playing in her first playoff series, had an off night with 10 points on 3-of-13 shooting, including an airball on a three with Dallas down three inside the final two minutes. But she assisted on Ogunbowale's tying three and on the banked shot that started overtime. "For us to do what we did today without Paige having the type of game that she always has offensively for us, to come out with a win is huge," Wings coach Jose Fernandez said. "We had other people step up."
Gabby Williams led all scorers with a career-high 36 points for the Valkyries but missed all six of her shots in the final 1:31 of overtime. With the score tied at 98 in the extra period, Ogunbowale and Tiffany Hayes had to be separated after a clash; both were called for flagrant fouls and each made two free throws with 2:26 remaining. Golden State did not score again, shooting 2-of-12 in overtime.
Dallas also got 21 points from veteran forward Alysha Clark, a season high, and 13 from Aziaha James. The Wings outscored the Valkyries 27-15 to close the second quarter and took a 50-45 lead into the break against the league's top defense, having trailed 87-86 with 1:46 remaining before a late run forced the extra period.
The Valkyries, who swept Dallas in the regular season and won Game 1 by 24 points, are chasing the first playoff series win in the franchise's second season. "We got one at home, and we got to bring our best," Golden State coach Natalie Nakase said. "That was not our best."
Sources
- https://abcnews.com/Sports/wireStory/ogunbowale-scores-wnba-playoff-record-45-wings-win-136909883
- https://www.dallasnews.com/sports/wings/article/dallas-wings-valkyries-arike-ogunbowale-playoffs-22456323.php
