“Self-Inflicted Wounds”: Turnovers Doom Dallas Wings in Loss to Unbeaten Minnesota Lynx

The Dallas Wings rallied from a 17-point deficit to pull within one entering the fourth quarter but couldn’t complete the comeback as the Minnesota Lynx pulled away late for an 81-65 victory Sunday afternoon at College Park Center.

The loss extended Dallas’ losing streak to five games and dropped the Wings to 1-9 on the season. Minnesota improved to 9-0, extending the fourth-best start in WNBA history.

Napheesa Collier led the Lynx with 28 points, 10 rebounds, four assists, four steals and three blocks. Kayla McBride added 21 points, hitting six 3-pointers, while Natisha Hiedeman finished with 12 points.

Arike Ogunbowale paced the Wings with 26 points, knocking down six 3-pointers, while Maddy Siegrist notched her first career double-double with 15 points and a game-high 11 rebounds. Rookie point guard Paige Bueckers missed her fourth consecutive game due to illness after being cleared from concussion protocol earlier in the day.

The Wings shot just 29.2% from the field — a season low — and matched their season high with 17 turnovers, which Minnesota converted into 24 points.

Early Deficit, Big Response

Dallas trailed by 17 late in the second quarter and by 10 entering halftime but clawed back with a 17-4 run to close the third quarter, pulling within 57-56 entering the fourth. Siegrist scored eight points during that stretch, helping the Wings hold Minnesota to its lowest-scoring quarter of the season (11 points).

“We can compete with anybody when we’re doing what we need to do, executing the game plan,” Ogunbowale said postgame. “We just have to get better.”

But Minnesota responded with a decisive fourth quarter, outscoring Dallas 24-9. The Wings missed their first six shots of the frame and didn’t score until Ogunbowale hit a free throw with 6:03 remaining. Dallas managed just three field goals in the quarter and went 1-of-10 from three-point range.

“We started one-for-10 in that fourth quarter,” head coach Chris Koclanes said. “It forces you to grind and grind defensively. And a good team like that — they really take advantage of any type of slippage or missed coverage.”

Turnovers and Paint Struggles Prove Costly

Minnesota’s pressure defense again exposed Dallas’ ball security issues. The Wings committed 17 turnovers, several of them live-ball giveaways that led to fast-break opportunities for the Lynx.

“Self-inflicted wounds,” Koclanes said. “Turnovers and missed layups lead to tough situations on the other end, and they definitely took advantage of those tonight.”

Koclanes said the Wings’ next area of growth needs to be their reads and decisions in the paint.

“We get the ball to the paint — there’s no denying that,” he said. “Now our growth area is: are we taking the right shots in the paint? Are we seeing the kicks when we get there?”

Dallas converted just 30% of its shots in the paint, a figure Koclanes noted has been trending the wrong way in recent games.

“We need to find the balance — going through someone and getting and-ones, or recognizing when we’re challenging shot blockers too much,” he said.

Arike Ogunbowale Adjusting to Defensive Pressure

Ogunbowale erupted for 20 first-half points, including 17 in the second quarter. She hit six 3-pointers in the first half, tying her career high for threes in a half and marking her most points in a single quarter this season.

“I think they were more aggressive [in the second half],” Ogunbowale said. “They weren’t plugging and sagging off as much. There were still shots I could have hit — they just didn’t go.”

Ogunbowale has drawn heavy defensive attention throughout the Wings’ recent stretch with both Bueckers and Tyasha Harris out.

“The last three games I was getting trapped and hedged any time I touched the ball,” she said. “Minnesota didn’t do that as much, so I had a lot more freedom in the first half. But I just have to adjust. Teams are throwing a lot at me — rightfully so.”

Koclanes said the staff is working with Ogunbowale on refining those reads live.

“There are definitely plans of attack,” he said. “It’s about continuing to talk about them and, while they’re happening, being able to give her better information — where is the play, where is the outlet, where is the next pass.”

JJ Quinerly Growing in Point Guard Role

With Bueckers and Harris sidelined, rookie JJ Quinerly has stepped into a larger point guard role. She scored six points and added three rebounds and two assists in 24 minutes on Sunday.

“I definitely feel comfortable — I played point guard before in college,” Quinerly said. “It’s a different game here, but I’m starting to figure out how to get Rek [Ogunbowale] the ball and get her to her spots, and how to get everybody else involved.”

Quinerly said she is also focused on using her defense to create transition opportunities.

“My defense is a big part of my game,” she said. “Picking up on that and letting it lead to easy scores on the offensive end.”

Ogunbowale praised her teammate’s development.

“JJ had a great game — two games in a row now — showing what she can do,” she said. “She’s doing really well, especially with our point guards out.”

Identity and Rebounding Remain Positives

Koclanes said he was encouraged by the team’s effort on the glass and stretches of defensive intensity.

“I like our consistency with crash presence,” he said. “That’s part of our identity. We need those second chances right now. We need more field goal attempts.”

Dallas won the rebounding battle for the sixth time this season, 41-37, led by Siegrist’s 11 boards.

“Our defensive intensity — like we showed in that third quarter — if we keep building off that, we’ll definitely get better,” Quinerly said.

Up Next

The Wings will look to snap their five-game losing streak as they head back on the road for two games, starting Wednesday night at the Phoenix Mercury (9 p.m. CT, KFAA29).

Ogunbowale said the team remains focused on building day by day.

“We’re just building,” she said. “We couldn’t have expected it to go perfectly right away. It’s been a lot of tough times, but we’re still building and sticking together.”

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