NEW YORK (AP) — Arike Ogunbowale scored 25 points and the Dallas Wings tied the WNBA record for fewest turnovers in a game to beat the New York Liberty 98-88 on Wednesday in a matinee camp day game.
Teaira McCowan added 15 points and 12 rebounds for the Wings, who had only two turnovers, matching the Washington Mystics' league record set in 2020. Both of Dallas’ turnovers came in the opening quarter and then the Wings were spotless for the remainder of the game.
“That’s elite, the first game back from All-Star. We had one practice as a full team,” Ogunbowale said.
Dallas coach Latricia Trammell said protecting the basketball was an important factor in winning the game.
“Valued the basketball — it’s something we talked about that was a key to the game,” she said.
Trailing 60-59 nearly four minutes into the third quarter, Dallas (12-9) took over. The Wings scored the next 12 points, including two 3-pointers by Ogunbowale, to get their first double-digit lead of the game.
When Ogunbowale wasn't hitting 3-pointers, she and her teammates were finding the 6-foot-7 McCowan in the lane. McCowan missed Dallas' game in New York in June because she was playing overseas with the Turkish national team. That game featured the first matchup between the Sabally sisters and New York won 102-93.
Dallas led 86-72 with 6:02 left before the Liberty (14-5) scored five straight to get to within single digits. They could get no closer as the Wings extended their winning streak to four games.
“I think we were locked in, slipped away from us last time we were here,” Ogunbowale said. “It was a big game and they are a top four team. We wanted to prove a point to ourselves, we really did that.”
Breanna Stewart scored 25 points and Sabrina Ionescu added 22 for the Liberty, who saw their four-game winning streak snapped.
“They did a good job keeping their composure. Two turnovers is pretty incredible,” Stewart said. "It shows that we weren’t the aggressors on defense, and we need to be better.”
Ionescu hit five 3-pointers, keeping up her hot shooting from the All-Star 3-point contest, where she hit a record 25 of 27 shots.
The Wings became the first team in the league to beat both Las Vegas and New York, the Western and Eastern conference leaders, this season.
“When you have a team that has done that, the only team in the league, shows this team what they’re capable of,” Trammell said. “It gives them confidence going into the next game and the one after that.”
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