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Wings look to cure recent ills against fading Fever

Jul 10, 2022; Chicago, Ill, USA; Team Stewart guard Arike Ogunbowale chases the ball during the first half in a WNBA All Star Game at Wintrust Arena. Mandatory Credit: David Banks-USA TODAY Sports
Credit: David Banks-USA TODAY Sports

The Dallas Wings are just outside of the WNBA playoff picture after losing six of their past eight games.

The Wings (11-15) will look to get back on track Sunday afternoon when they visit the reeling Indiana Fever (5-24) in Indianapolis.

Arike Ogunbowale scored 28 points in Dallas’ 89-83 setback to the Chicago Sky on Friday.

The fourth-year guard hasn’t been shy with the basketball, either. Ogunbowale matched a season high with 24 shot attempts on July 14 before going 10 for 21 from the floor on Friday.

“I think it’s important for her to attack (the) defense in multiple ways,” Wings coach Vickie Johnson said, per the Dallas Morning News. “She’s not just a direct line driver, meaning just making a layup or shooting 3s. She has a beautiful mid-range game. (We’ve) encouraged her to take those shots.”

Ogunbowale made six 3-pointers and finished with 24 points in the Wings’ 94-68 romp over Indiana on June 23. She averages a team-best 19.8 per game.

Isabelle Harrison made 8 of 10 shots to finish with 18 points off the bench on Friday. She scored 16 points in 17 minutes in the victory over the Fever last month.

While Dallas is teetering just outside the playoff line, Indiana is in a freefall after losing a franchise-record 11 straight games. The Fever have lost by an average margin of 14.5 points during their pronounced slide, which began with the June 23 loss at Dallas.

“It would be hard for anybody,” forward NaLyssa Smith told the Indianapolis Star on Thursday after scoring 24 points in the Fever’s 90-77 setback against the Las Vegas Aces.

“You go into every game wanting to win, and that’s just the standard. Nobody likes losing. It (doesn’t) feel right, but we know what we gotta do to change it around.”

Victoria Vivians added 14 points on 6-of-8 shooting from the floor. She had made just 5 of 25 shots over her previous three games for Indiana.

–Field Level Media

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