DHJ Quick Take: Arike Ogunbowale Praises the Wings’ Ball Movement
Arike Ogunbowale credited selfless ball movement after the Dallas Wings recorded 30 assists in a 96-66 win over the Las Vegas Aces.
- What did Arike Ogunbowale say about the Wings’ offense? She said Dallas passed up good shots to get great ones and played selflessly.
- How many assists did the Wings record? Dallas finished with 30 assists, including 18 on its first 20 baskets.
- How many Wings had multiple assists? Three players handed out 7 or more, the second time in franchise history.
- How well did Dallas shoot? The Wings shot better than 70% in the first half.
ARLINGTON, Texas — The Dallas Wings turned a sharp passing night into a 96-66 win over the Las Vegas Aces on Monday at College Park Center, and Arike Ogunbowale traced the 30-assist effort to a willingness to give up good looks for better ones.
“Just finding the open man,” Ogunbowale said. “We had good shots, but we were passing them up to get great shots.”
The ball moved from the opening tip. Dallas shot 62.5% in the first quarter and led 29-20, then strung together four straight 3-pointers in a 17-0 run that stretched the lead to 26 at 52-26 in the second. The Wings carried a 56-37 advantage into halftime and pushed the lead as high as 30.
Arike Ogunbowale on Sharing the Ball
Much of the offense started at the other end. Dallas turned 14 Las Vegas turnovers into 18 points and outscored the Aces 12-5 on fast-break points, beating the defense down the floor before it could set.
Ogunbowale said the two ends fed each other through constant communication.
“Defensively, we were talking and scrambling. If we needed somebody to help after a switch and there was an X-out, we were talking,” Ogunbowale said. “Offensively, when Jess gets the ball, she’s talking to us, telling us to run the lanes and where to go. We were really on the same page today.”
Head coach Jose Fernandez pointed to those early stops as the engine for the break.
“I think we got a lot of what we wanted in transition,” Fernandez said.
Ogunbowale finished with 22 points, 7 assists, and no turnovers, with the assist total matching a season high. She is averaging 15.0 points, 3.2 rebounds, and 3.2 assists on 34.6% shooting through 14 games this season.
She added that the approach worked since there was an unselfish mentality across the offense. The goal is to trust everyone on the floor to make a play when the ball comes their way, and it paid off.
“With the players that we have, you’re probably going to knock it down,” Ogunbowale said. “It was about sharing the ball, making the extra pass, and trusting that if you gave it up, it might come back to you or your teammate would knock it down. Just being really selfless.”
Dallas Wings Pile Up 30 Assists
Dallas assisted on 18 of its first 20 baskets and shot better than 70% in the first half. The Wings finished with 30 assists, and Paige Bueckers and Jessica Shepard joined Ogunbowale with 7 or more, just the second time in franchise history that three Wings reached that mark.
Five Wings scored in double figures, led by Ogunbowale’s 22 points. Azzi Fudd added 19, Shepard finished with 15, and Bueckers and Aziaha James scored 10 apiece.
Fernandez said the ball movement came down to one habit that he termed “one more.”
“We talk about it all the time: one more,” Fernandez said. “Going from a good shot to a great shot. I thought we did that today. The way that we space the floor, we should find open shots, not contested ones.”
What’s Next
Dallas closes Commissioner’s Cup play Wednesday at the Golden State Valkyries, with tip-off set for 9 p.m. CT at Chase Center. Both teams enter at 9-5, and the game airs locally on KFAA and streams on WNBA League Pass.
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