Aziaha James (No. 10) of the Dallas Wings had a standout performance against the Connecticut Sun on Friday night. (Photo: Tammy McManaway Sports Photography)
UNCASVILLE, Conn. — Aziaha James went into attack mode on Friday night, and Dallas Wings coach Chris Koclanes hopes she stays in that mode after a stellar performance in the Wings’ 86-83 win on the road against the Connecticut Sun.
James used her quickness and strength to carve up the Connecticut defense, en route to a career high 17 points, five assists and five rebounds. On a night where Arike Ogunbowale was limited to just seven points with foul trouble, the rookie stepped in to pick up the slack, playing a season-high 25 minutes, and setting career bests in points and assists, while tying her career high in rebounds.
“I’ve been shying away from attacking the rim in these past few games,” James said. “So I just had to turn a different mode, help my teammates out.”
James’ impact wasn’t limited to just the big scoring day, as she made her presence felt in the paint with several rebounds, and assists that stemmed from her aggressive approach.
“She had five assists tonight too,” said Koclanes. “She was dominating in the paint. We’re gonna have to bottle that up, and ask her for that going forward,” said Dallas coach Koclanes said. “She’s probably going to get their worst perimeter defender each game, so she should be able to get in the paint and to create.”
James Keys Third Quarter Run
James was relatively quiet in the first half, but she came alive in the third quarter, scoring 10 of her 17 points in the frame. After the Wings fell behind 45-42 early in the third quarter, James took over, scoring eight points, gathering two rebounds and a steal during a 14-2 Dallas run that gave them a lead they would never relinquish.
“Aziaha stuck with it,” Koclanes observed. “She didn’t play a ton of minutes in that first half, and then she was the spark that we needed. You saw in that third quarter and the second half – that’s Aziaha James.”
Koclanes said there has been a “feeling out” period for James, in which she has tried to find her footing as a rookie in the WNBA, but performances like she had on Friday night show just what she is capable of.
“I just had to turn a different mode, help my teammates out,” James said. “That was our main goal, just keep getting to that free throw line.”
That focus paid off, as not only was James able to weave through the Connecticut defense to score on multiple occasions, but when she didn’t score, she drew several fouls. Four of her 12 third quarter points came from the charity stripe.
Aziaha Jones speeds up court in the Dallas Wings 86-83 win over Connecticut on Friday. (Photo: Dallas Wings Basketball)
James Quickness Rattles the Connecticut Offense
James’ speed and quickness impacted both ends of the court for Dallas. On a night where the Dallas defense thrived, forcing 13 Connecticut turnovers, it was often James who sped up the Connecticut guards, forcing them into turnovers. Although the only had one steal in the game, James made life difficult for opposing ball handlers throughout the night.
“Defensively, she’ll continue to get better,” Koclanes said. “She competes like crazy on that end, and she will continue to grow in her discipline and understanding.”
Koclanes said the team succeeds when the every player understands their roles and strengths and plays to them, something James did in spades on Friday night.
“For her to be able to respond the way she did was just fantastic,” Koclanes said. “I know our team has been wanting it for her, so I’m excited for it.”
There will be a quick turnaround for Dallas as they travel to face the Washington Mystics today at 3 p.m. looking to extend their modest win streak to three games.
