The Dallas Wings (10-9) earned arguably their biggest win of the 2023 WNBA season thus far, defeating the defending champion Las Vegas Aces (17-2) 80-78 after coming back from an 11-point second-half deficit and hanging on during a dramatic final few seconds. Each of the Wings’ five starters scored in double-figures, with Arike Ogunbowale leading the way with 21 points.
It was the Wings’ second game against the Aces in three days, and a close loss against Las Vegas the first time around made Friday’s win that much sweeter. In a way, the Wings finished what they started; Dallas led the Aces by as many as 17 points on Wednesday before faltering down the stretch, but was able to close things out on Friday, stymying a highly potent Las Vegas offense and making just enough key plays on the boards to secure the victory.
The most memorable of those plays was a Natasha Howard offensive rebound and putback attempt with 0.4 seconds remaining in regulation and the game tied. Howard was fouled on the play and sank both free throws, which ended up being the game-winning points. Both Howard and Teaira McCowan got their hands on the ball in the scrum for the offensive rebound, showcasing once again how crucial offensive rebounding is to the Wings’ success; Dallas leads the WNBA in
