The Dallas Wings will be without guard Arike Ogunbowale for Tuesday’s nationally televised WNBA matchup on ESPN against the Indiana Fever at Gainbridge Fieldhouse. The 28-year-old has been ruled out with right knee soreness after sitting out the team’s morning shootaround.
Ogunbowale has missed only three games this season. She has averaged 15.5 points, 2.5 rebounds, 4.1 assists, and 1.3 steals while shooting 36.4 percent from the field and 30.4 percent from three-point range. Her absence removes a key playmaker and perimeter threat from a Dallas lineup looking to avoid a season sweep against Indiana.
Without Ogunbowale, rookie guard Aziaha James could take on a larger role after filling in at times this season when either Ogunbowale or Paige Bueckers has been sidelined. Recent trade acquisition Diamond Miller is also a candidate for extended minutes, and Dallas could lean on a bigger perimeter group featuring Miller and Maddy Siegrist.
Paige Bueckers Continuing to Play Through Back Injury
Bueckers will be available after missing last Friday’s game against the New York Liberty with a back injury. She returned Sunday against the Washington Mystics, logging 32 minutes and finishing with 17 points, three rebounds, three assists, and two steals.
“I’m feeling alright. Good enough to play,” Bueckers said after the game. “I’m not gonna make any excuses, so I’m feeling alright.”
The rookie guard wore a wrap on the bench between stints on the floor and extended her streak of consecutive double-digit scoring games to 25, tying Caitlin Clark for the fifth-longest by a rookie in WNBA history.
Myisha Hines-Allen Pushing Through Ankle Trouble
Myisha Hines-Allen will also be available after battling a left ankle injury. She’s come off the bench in 13 straight games, averaging 7.2 points, 5.5 rebounds, and 2.5 assists during that stretch.
“It’s tough. This is the first year I’ve ever had to deal with ankle problems,” Hines-Allen said. “Like I said, I felt it after the game, and I definitely did. But I’ve been getting treatment all the way up until now. I’m ready to go. I’m going to play today and try my hardest.”
Her approach to staying on the floor hasn’t changed through eight WNBA seasons.
“That’s just the type of person I am,” Hines-Allen said. “I don’t like to miss games. In my eight seasons here, if I can walk and put my arms above my head, I want to be out there for my teammates.”
Final Meeting of the Season
Dallas (8-24) and Indiana (18-14) will meet for the fourth and final time this season. The Fever have won each of the first three, including an Aug. 1 victory in Dallas. The series has drawn the league’s largest crowds this year, averaging 18,513 fans per game, highlighted by a Wings franchise record 20,409 on June 27.
Indiana enters on the heels of a 92-70 win over the Chicago Sky, led by Kelsey Mitchell’s 26 points.
More Dallas Wings News & WNBA Rumors
- WNBA News: “I’ve Really Been Enjoying My Time Here”: Grace Berger Grateful for Rest-of-Season Contract With Dallas Wings
- WNBA News: Paige Bueckers, Myisha Hines-Allen to Play vs. Indiana Fever; Arike Ogunbowale’s Status Uncertain
- WNBA News: Grace Berger Lands Rest-of-Season Contract With Dallas Wings Before Indiana Fever Matchup
- WNBA News: “Put Action Behind Our Words”: Paige Bueckers Urges Dallas Wings to Turn Talk Into Results After Fifth Straight Loss
- WNBA News: “Adrenaline Is a Hell of a Drug”: Paige Bueckers Managing Back Injury as Dallas Wings Share Status vs. Indiana Fever
- WNBA News: “Our Intensity Has to Stay the Same”: Dallas Wings’ Strong Start Fades in Loss to Washington Mystics
- WNBA News: “Paige Will Be a Unifier”: Curt Miller Details Dallas Wings’ Roster Plan Around Paige Bueckers
