Arike Ogunbowale's name did not lead every wire lede on Wednesday, but her 23 points and six assists were the veteran scoring night that sat next to Paige Bueckers and Jessica Shepard as the Dallas Wings closed the regular season.
The Associated Press reported that Ogunbowale finished with 23 points and six assists in a 103-91 win over the Seattle Storm in Seattle. Bueckers scored 25 with seven assists. Shepard posted 20 points, 11 rebounds and 12 assists for her WNBA-leading sixth triple-double. Dallas finished 27-16 after a 10-win season a year ago.
Veteran scoring on a night built for three engines
Ogunbowale's six assists mattered as much as the 23 points. She was not only finishing - she was helping create on a night when Shepard already owned the primary assist column and Bueckers was working through her third straight 20-point, five-assist game.
The Wings' offense in the finale was layered: Shepard connecting, Bueckers scoring and distributing, Ogunbowale providing the familiar mid-range and perimeter threat Seattle had to account for all series.
Dallas led 90-71 with under seven minutes left before Seattle ran off 17-4 to make it 94-88. Awak Kuier and Bueckers hit threes on the next two possessions to restore separation. Ogunbowale's full-game line was already a pillar of the 103-point night; the late threes from teammates protected a lead she had helped build across four quarters.
Seattle (8-36) got 29 points and eight rebounds from Dominique Malonga, a season-high 22 from Awa Fam, 21 from Flau'jae Johnson, and 10 points with 14 assists from Natisha Hiedeman. The Storm could score in bunches in the fourth. They could not overtake a Wings attack that had three double-digit scorers and Shepard's triple-double holding the middle.
First Storm sweep, record climb, playoff seed waiting
The AP noted Dallas won seven of its last eight, with the only recent loss coming Monday after a 14-point lead evaporated. The Wings' 17-win improvement from last season is a WNBA record for best single-season turnaround, per the AP. Atlanta's victory over New York earlier Wednesday secured Dallas the No. 7 playoff seed.
