Arike Ogunbowale scored 37 points and the visiting Dallas Wings defeated the short-handed Phoenix Mercury 94-84 on Thursday night.
Allisha Gray added 16 points and Marina Mabrey had 13 points and 10 assists for the Wings (3-2), who made 11 of 25 3-point attempts compared to 5 of 24 for Phoenix.
Diana Taurasi scored 31 points, Diamond DeShields had 22, Tina Charles contributed 17 points and 11 rebounds and Shey Peddy added 10 points to lead the Mercury (2-3).
Mercury leading scorer Skylar Diggins-Smith did not play because of a non-COVID illness. The team already was playing without Kia Nurse (knee) and Brittney Griner (detained in Russia).
Ogunbowale scored consecutive baskets in a 6-0 run as the Wings extended their three-point halftime lead to 52-45 early in the third quarter.
The Mercury got within two points twice, but Teaira McCowan scored Dallas’ final four points of the period to push the lead to 64-59.
Gray made a 3-pointer and Ogunbowale had a basket and two assists as the Wings took a 73-66 lead.
Taurasi made a 3-pointer and three-point play to get Phoenix within 78-74.
Dallas rebuilt the lead to eight, but Taurasi made a 3-pointer and three free throws to pull the Mercury within 84-82.
After an exchange of baskets, Ogunbowale and Mabrey made consecutive baskets to give the Wings a 90-84 edge with 1:07 left.
The score was tied four times before the Mercury took their first lead at 13-11.
Ogunbowale made two 3-pointers and Mabrey added a trey as the Wings took a 26-20 lead at the end of the first quarter.
Peddy’s layup trimmed the gap to four, but Ogunbowale’s 3-pointer completed a 9-2 run that gave Dallas a 35-24 lead.
DeShields scored five points during a 9-1 run that pulled Phoenix within three points.
The Mercury got within three points twice more, the second time coming when Peddy’s basket left the Wings with a 44-41 halftime lead.
–Field Level Media