Ogunbowale, Billings lead Wings past Sparks
Published
LOS ANGELES, Calif. (AP) — Arike Ogunbowale scored 20 points, Monique Billings had a double-double with 18 points and 12 rebounds and the Dallas Wings edged the Los Angeles Sparks 84-83 on Sunday night.
Dallas had an 8-2 run, getting what proved to be the winning point when Ogunbowale made one of two free throws with 16.1 seconds left. Lexie Brown made a long 3-pointer with 1 second left for the Sparks.
A night after Ogunbowale scored 40 points while playing all 40 minutes in Dallas' 107-92 win at Phoenix, she shot just 7 of 30 and missed all eight of her 3-pointers, but hit several key baskets against the Sparks.
Billings had 18 points and 12 rebounds for Dallas (3-2) and Maddie Siegrist had 15, including a clutch basket on a putback with 36 seconds to go that made it 83-80. Teaira McCowan had 12 points and Sevgi Uzun added 11.
Cameron Brink, the second overall draft pick this year, had a career-high 24 points for the Sparks (1-4) with three 3-pointers and three blocks despite playing just 24 minutes because of foul trouble. Dearica Hamby scored 19 points and grabbed 12 rebounds, Brown scored 12 and Li Yueru had 10 and nine rebounds, both career highs for the 6-foot-7 rookie from China.
Brink shot 5 of 7, including a pair of 3-pointers, and scored 12 points but all five starters scored for the Wings and the first quarter ended tied at 27.
Ogunbowale, limited to four free throws in the first quarter, scored nine points in the second as the Wings took a 49-42 lead at the break. Brink added another 3 to give her 15 points, but she also had three fouls in the half, limiting her to 11 minutes.
A 3-pointer by Uzan gave the Wings a 64-52 lead with 3:09 in the third quarter, but a late floater from Hamby pulled the Sparks within 70-63 entering the fourth.
Referee Angel Kent left because of food poisoning with about four minutes left in the first half and didn't return.