Kayla Thornton and Arike Ogunbowale poured in 21 points apiece and Teaira McCowan added 14 points and 14 rebounds as the Dallas Wings were at their best in the late third and early fourth quarters in rolling to an 81-68 win over the struggling Atlanta Dream on Saturday.
The Wings (13-16), who led by seven points at halftime, gave up the lead in the third quarter but rallied. They regained the advantage and dominated early in the fourth period, pushing their advantage to as many as 20 points with about 4 1/2 left in the game.
Dallas cruised to the finish line and has won two of its past three games. The Wings are tied with the Phoenix Mercury for sixth place in the playoff picture, with the Dream among four other teams still in the postseason picture. The top eight teams qualify for the playoffs.
McCowan’s double-double was her second straight and sixth of the season.
Rhyne Howard had 22 points for the Dream (12-18), who lost their fourth straight. Aari McDonald added 13 points and Cheyenne Parker chipped in with 12 points for Atlanta.
The game went back and forth through the first five minutes of the opening quarter before Dallas pushed its way to a 20-15 lead on Ogunbowale’s layup with 2:20 to play in the period. A last-second, step-back jumper by Marina Mabrey granted the Wings a 26-19 edge at quarter’s end.
Dallas led by as many as nine points in the second quarter. Atlanta cut its deficit to 36-33 after Howard’s layup at the 3:02 mark, before the Wings finished of the half strong. Ogunbowale’s three-point play with 1.8 seconds put Dallas up 42-35 advantage at the break.
Thornton led all scorers with 16 points in the first half, while Ogunbowale had 11 for the Wings. Howard scored 11 points to pace Atlanta before halftime.
The Wings missed their first seven shots of the third quarter and had a turnover as Atlanta rallied to take a 43-42 lead at the 7:55 mark. But the Dream’s time in front was short-lived, as Dallas rallied to lead 60-50 after Ogunbowale’s floater with 1:06 to play.
The Wings carried a 62-54 lead into the final period.
–Field Level Media
