Teaira McCowan (No. 15) of the Dallas Wings enjoys the turning point moment of a pivotal 113-110 win over the Los Angeles Sparks at College Park Center in Arlington, Texas, on Sunday, Aug. 25, 2024. (Photo: Dylan Nadwodny | The Podium Finish)
ARLINGTON, Texas — Make no mistake that the Dallas Wings have been battle tested throughout the 2024 WNBA season. Persevering through injuries and roster changes in the first 28 games, there were some moral victories taken from the two-game road trip in Brooklyn, New York, that applied on Sunday afternoon against the Los Angeles Sparks at College Park Center.
Early on, the Sparks were off to a torrid start thanks to Rickea Jackson, Dearica Hamby, Odyssey Sims and Kia Nurse, pitching in a team total of 26 points. The Wings mustered 13 points as Natasha Howard, Teaira McCowan, Sevgi Uzun, Arike Ogunbowale and Maddy Siegrist got on the scoring sheet with their first quarter efforts.
Sims led the second quarter charge for the Sparks along with Rae Burrell, Jackson, Hamby, Azurà Stevens and Stephanie Talbot, adding 29 more points. Making some adjustments on both ends of the floor, the Wings’ offensive attack came alive with 32 points as Satou Sabally, in her third game and start of the season, Howard, Ogunbowale, Uzun and Jacy Sheldon brought the Wings within 10 of the Sparks at the end of the first half.
Los Angeles increased their lead from 10 to 19 in the third quarter. Hamb, Sims, Jackson, Nurse, Stevens, Li Yueru catalyzed the Sparks’ charge against the Wings’ response from Howard, Ogunbowale, Sabally, Siegrist and Uzun.
Entering the fourth quarter, the Dallas Wings needed a tremendous effort from their adversity-ridden team against a scrappy Sparks squad. Trailing 92-73, it would take a total team effort for one of the largest comebacks of the WNBA season.
Natasha Howard (No. 6, forward) came through with 30 points and two critical free throws en route to a 113-110 win over the Los Angeles Sparks. (Photo: Dylan Nadwodny | The Podium Finish)
Slowly but surely, the Wings closed the gap on the Sparks with Sabally, McCowan, Howard and Ogunbowale trimming Los Angeles’ lead from 19 to five with 84 seconds left in the game. By this point, the tide turned toward Dallas’ favor with Howard brining the Wings within two of the Sparks.
College Park Center erupted in cheers when McCowan made two critical layups in the final 41 seconds, essentially completing the inspirational comeback. Talbot, fouled within three seconds of the buzzer, made one of her two free throws to make it a 111-110 score.
Howard was fouled by Jackson shortly after with the three-time WNBA champion banking her two free throws, forcing Los Angeles to try for a response against Dallas’ 40 fourth quarter points.
Taking the reset timeout to advance toward the offensive side of the court, Hamby had the ball in her hand to make a last second salvation shot for Los Angeles. However, Hamby’s shot did not sink inside the basket, with the buzzer sounding to officially complete Dallas’ comeback.
Down by as many as 22 points and trailing the Los Angeles Sparks by 19 points going into the final 10 minutes of the game, Wings head coach Latricia Trammell reflected on her team’s emotional, hard fought victory as she was flanked by Howard and Ogunbowale after the game.
Sevgi Uzun (No. 1, guard) is pumped up for the Dallas Wings after she and her gallant teammates scored 40 fourth quarter points against the Los Angeles Sparks. (Photo: Dylan Nadwodny | The Podium Finish)
“That’s one of the things that, you know, when you think about one of those things, and when your season’s rough, to see the fight in this in this team and everyone contribute and to still stick together, I mean that’s all you can ask for,” Trammell said. “And so I’m just extremely proud of them. I love this team. I love what I do.
“And when I see players like Tasha and Ari(ke) that’s been in this a long time and knowing how hard they work and to see them come out with this win, this is just a confidence booster moving forward.”
Every one on the Wings roster, whether on the floor or the bench, supported each other. Howard, who raked in 30 points with a dominant performance, found inspiration from her teammates in an impressive rally in front of the hometown faithful.
“My teammates have confidence in me,” Howard said. “But at the end of the day, I couldn’t do without my teammates, without them putting that confidence in me. So kudos to my teammates. My coaches.”
The Rundown
Arike Ogunbowale (No. 24, guard) got to light up Reunion Tower following the Dallas Wings’ 113-110 win to kick off a five-game homestand at College Park Center in Arlington, Texas. (Photo: Dylan Nadwodny | The Podium Finish)
| Team | Q1 | Q2 | Q3 | Q4 | Total |
| Los Angeles Sparks (6-24) | 26 | 29 | 37 | 18 | 110 |
| Dallas Wings (7-22) | 13 | 32 | 28 | 40 | 113 |
Los Angeles Sparks: By the Numbers
Rickea Jackson (No. 2) tallied 25 points in a gallant effort for the Los Angeles Sparks, falling to the Dallas Wings, 113-110. (Photo: Dylan Nadwodny | The Podium Finish)
| Los Angeles Sparks | ||||||||||||||
| Starters | Minutes | FG | 3PT | FT | OREB | DREB | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TO | PF | +/- | PTS |
| Dearica Hamby (F) | 29 | 9-12 | 1-3 | 2-2 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 2 | -3 | 21 |
| Stephanie Talbot (F) | 24 | 2-3 | 0-1 | 2-4 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 4 | -4 | 6 |
| Azurá Stevens (F) | 31 | 5-11 | 3-7 | 2-4 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 4 | 15 |
| Rickea Jackson (F) | 37 | 9-15 | 6-8 | 1-1 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 4 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 3 | 3 | 25 |
| Crystal Dangerfield (G) | 9 | 0-2 | 0-1 | 0-0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 |
| Bench | Minutes | FG | 3PT | FT | OREB | DREB | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TO | PF | +/- | PTS |
| Li Yueru (C) | 20 | 3-5 | 2-2 | 2-2 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 | -7 | 8 |
| Odyssey Sims (G) | 31 | 8-11 | 9-11 | 9-11 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 10 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 | -6 | 26 |
| Kia Nurse (G) | 16 | 3-5 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 7 |
| Rae Burrell (G) | 3 | 0-1 | 2-2 | 2-2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | -7 | 2 |
| Zia Cooke (G) | DNP – Coach’s Decision | |||||||||||||
Dallas Wings: By the Numbers
Satou Sabally (No. 0, forward) had another sparkling performance for the Dallas Wings with 19 points in a 113-110 win against the Los Angeles Sparks. (Photo: Dylan Nadwodny | The Podium Finish)
| Dallas Wings | ||||||||||||||
| Starters | Minutes | FG | 3PT | FT | OREB | DREB | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TO | PF | +/- | PTS |
| Natasha Howard (F) | 34 | 11-15 | 1-3 | 7-10 | 1 | 6 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 4 | 7 | 30 |
| Satou Sabally (F) | 36 | 7-20 | 3-6 | 2-2 | 2 | 3 | 5 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 7 | 19 |
| Teaira McCowan (C) | 29 | 6-9 | 0-0 | 5-6 | 7 | 4 | 11 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 18 | 17 |
| Arike Ogunbowale (G) | 40 | 10-21 | 4-12 | 9-9 | 0 | 4 | 4 | 7 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 33 |
| Jacy Sheldon (G) | 23 | 1-1 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 8 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 4 | -17 | 2 |
| Bench | Minutes | FG | 3PT | FT | OREB | DREB | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TO | PF | +/- | PTS |
| Maddy Siegrist (F) | 12 | 3-5 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | -12 | 6 |
| Stephanie Soares (C) | 3 | 0-2 | 0-1 | 0-0 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | -3 | 0 |
| Jaelyn Brown (G) | 7 | 0-1 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | -8 | 0 |
| Sevgi Uzun (G) | 17 | 2-2 | 0-0 | 2-2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 20 | 6 |
| Kalani Brown (F) | DNP – Coach’s Decision | |||||||||||||
| Lou Lopez Sénéchal (G) | DNP – Coach’s Decision | |||||||||||||
Coming Up Next
The Dallas Wings (7-22) prepare to battle the two-time and defending WNBA champions, the Las Vegas Aces (18-11), in the second of their five-game homestand at College Park Center in Arlington, Texas, on Tuesday, Aug. 27 at 7 p.m. CT. Previously, the Wings fell to the Aces, 95-81, on June 5, at College Park Center, before dropping a 104-85 match on July 7, at Michelob ULTRA Arena in Las Vegas.
Playoff Picture
As of Tuesday, Aug. 25, the Wings are four games behind the Chicago Sky for the eighth and final WNBA Playoffs position, with both teams playing 29 games. Both teams face off at Wintrust Arena in Chicago on Sunday, Sept. 8 at 5 p.m CT, with Chicago leading the season series against Dallas, 2-1.
