Welcome to the Basketball Hangover. I write about what’s happening in the WNBA daily as we try to heal from this pandemic.
Arike Ogunbowale went for 30 points in the Wings’ big win over the Mystics.
(PHOTO CREDIT: Elias Valverde II/Dallas Wings.)
So should we start to worry about the Dallas Wings? They’re .500 halfway through the season and they have won three of the last four games.
After all, they have a lot more help now. Earlier in the year, it was just pretty much Arike Ogunbowale and Marina Mabrey doing the lion’s share of the work.
They now also have Allisha Gray and Satou Sabally back. Sabally is averaging 13.2 points and 6.1 boards a game while Gray is scoring 10.5 points per. Add to that Arike’s scoring prowess and Mabrey’s much improved game and we could be seeing something here.
They proved that against the Washington Mystics. The Wings dominated from the outset. Ogunbowale set the tone with 12 points in the first quarter. She would go on to score 30 points and even have 5 steals on the defensive end. Gray scored 14 off the bench while the versatile Sabally went for 12-8-5. And remember that they also have the first two picks from last year’s draft and they seem to be bringing them up slowly. Charli Collier does get some PT but it looks like Awak Kuier is a long-term project for them.
Either way, the Wings are at 8-8 and are tied with the Liberty for the 5th spot. And when it comes down to it, I’d be afraid of Arike Ogunbowale in an elimination game.
Bullet Passes
Sabrina Ionescu is back starting for the New York Liberty but the real story were Sami Whitcomb and Betnijah Laney. Whitcomb went off for a career-best 30 points while Laney was matching her shot for shot as she went for 28. Not only that but they got a cool 18 points from Michaela Onyenwere. The Liberty go to 8-8 as they blew out the Atlanta Dream.
The Dream got 24 points from Chennedy Carter but that was pretty much the only good news. Atlanta has had injuries on and off with their major players; we know Tiffany Hayes has an MCL tear that has her on the shelf for the next month or so.
WNBA Scoreboard
June 26, 2021
Watch This Play
Two of Arike’s 30 points came on this nifty lay-up.
🚨 TO 🚨 THE 🚨 BANK 🚨 @Arike_O pic.twitter.com/wxOT3MqJL1
— Dallas Wings (@DallasWings) June 26, 2021
She is such a scoring machine.
Everyone, please take care of yourselves during this pandemic. And that goes for everyone involved with the WNBA as well.
You can find Rey-Rey on Twitter at @TheNoLookPass.
You can also check out Rey-Rey’s podcast, Rey-Rey Is Fundamental, for more basketball content and, really, whatever else.
R.I.P. Nala.