'It Was a Statement': Dallas Wings Dominate Seattle Storm Amid Arike Ogunbowale’s Record and Team Resurgence

Out of the timeout, the tide began to shift. Ogunbowale broke the seal with a pull-up on a drive. Aziaha James added a finish. Then Li Yueru, in her first game back in Seattle since being traded in June, calmly buried a top-of-the-key three.

“I was so happy to come back here,” Yueru said. “To be honest, I felt a little nervous, and I didn’t really find a good rhythm on offense. So I tried to do other things to help the team win.”

The Wings trailed 19–15 after one, but the storm had passed.

Finding a Rhythm

Seattle twice pushed its lead to double digits in the second quarter. But Dallas kept chipping away. DiJonai Carrington, playing for the first time since June 20, added four points and six rebounds in 17 minutes off the bench. Grace Berger made her Wings debut, grabbing four boards and handing out an assist.

Luisa Geiselsöder carried the scoring load, knocking down a pair of threes and finishing with eight in the quarter. Then, with the Wings trailing by five and the clock winding down, Ogunbowale beat the buzzer with a deep three to cut Seattle’s lead to just two at the half.

“That shot gave us a lot of momentum,” Ogunbowale said. “We were struggling a bit, but we stayed composed and kept fighting.”

The Run That Changed Everything

Whatever was said in the Dallas locker room at halftime worked.

The Wings opened the third quarter with a 17–0 run, turning a two-point deficit into a 15-point lead before Seattle could respond. Ogunbowale drilled three threes and poured in 11 points in the quarter. Paige Bueckers, who had just two points in the first half, came alive with midrange floaters and pinpoint passing.

“Our response was great,” Bueckers said. “We never let a slow start or adversity dictate how we play. At halftime, we focused on limiting their points off turnovers. They had a lot in the first half, zero in the second. We took care of the ball, got good shots, and kept defending well.”

Bueckers finished with 14 points and six assists — and became the fastest player in WNBA history (tied with Caitlin Clark) to reach 300 points and 100 assists in just 19 games.

Jones added two assists and two buckets in the run. JJ Quinerly, part of the team’s evolving starting group, posted a career-high seven rebounds while adding nine points and four assists on the night. Dallas shot 55.6% in the quarter and outscored Seattle 32–15.

“We kept pushing, especially at the end of the second quarter and the beginning of the third,” said Jones. “That stretch was huge, and I think we can really build off momentum like that.”

While Dallas took control, Seattle’s stars still made an impact.

Nneka Ogwumike led the Storm with 22 points on 10-of-19 shooting, including 2-of-4 from three. Gabby Williams finished with 14 points, eight assists, six rebounds, and four steals — setting a Storm single-season record with her sixth game of the year posting four or more steals. Ezi Magbegor added 12 points and nine boards while going a perfect 8-for-8 at the line.

A Milestone Sealed With a Mid-Range

By the fourth quarter, Dallas was in full control. The ball movement stayed crisp. The defensive rotations stayed sharp. And the moment of the night belonged to Ogunbowale.

With 3:39 left, she pulled up from 15 feet and buried her seventh field goal of the game — her 1,477th in a Wings uniform — passing Deanna Nolan to become the franchise’s all-time leader in field goals made.

“My teammates,” Ogunbowale said. “I missed some easy ones in the first half, but at halftime they kept saying, ‘Next one’s in.’ That support helped me stay confident.”

“We’ve actually beaten them twice now, so we didn’t split,” she added. “They’re a really good team, even without Skylar. They still have All-Stars and great players. This is a big win coming out of the break.”

Not even a sequence in which Ogwumike threw Geiselsöder to the ground, resulting in a double technical scuffle in the fourth, could shake the Wings.

“We were up at the time, and it’s their home court, so that kind of stuff can give the other team energy,” Ogunbowale said. “But we stayed focused, didn’t get distracted, and kept doing what we were doing.”

When Everything Clicks

Four Wings scored in double figures — Ogunbowale (20), Bueckers (14), Geiselsöder (11), and Jones (10). Yueru pulled down a game-high 10 rebounds. Dallas shot 50% in the second half, had 25 assists, and turned the ball over just four times after halftime.

“We talk a lot about sharing the ball and gang rebounding,” said Koclanes. “Everyone has to contribute. Our guards have to rebound, too, especially when we ask our posts to rotate out. DiJonai [Carrington] gave us great effort on the glass. It’s a group effort, and tonight it really showed.”

Geiselsöder hit a career-high three threes and praised the team’s growing chemistry.

“We’re starting to really get to know each other more and more with every game,” she said. “The assists come because we’re learning each other’s movements. We know what shots we’re comfortable taking, and we trust every shot someone takes. That trust shows in how we play.”

The Point Forward and the Perfect Fit

Jones continued her rise as Dallas’ ultimate utility player, finishing with 10 points, six rebounds, and six assists in just 31 minutes.

“I consider myself a point forward,” Jones said. “That’s kind of the umbrella for everything I do — I can handle the ball, create plays, rebound, defend multiple spots. I feel like that term fits me best.”

“She’s a Swiss Army knife — you can plug her in anywhere,” said Koclanes. “Her pace and versatility really help us. Whether she’s at guard or forward, she can push the ball, make plays, and give us another dimension offensively.”

In the post, Geiselsöder and Yueru continued to grow as a tandem.

“I’m starting to understand her movements better — what shots and passes she likes,” Geiselsöder said. “She can shoot from the outside, and I can be inside, so we balance each other well. It’s a good fit.”

Yueru said the team’s confidence in her has helped elevate her game.

“I feel like the team gives me a lot of energy,” Yueru added. “They believe in me and make me feel like I can do more. Even when I don’t feel great on offense, they still trust me and keep me on the court to help in other ways. I really appreciate that, and I promise I’ll keep getting better.”

What to Watch

Yueru finished with eight points and 10 rebounds, but she knows where she wants to grow next.

“For myself, I feel I still need to improve on defense — like how to position myself between the dribbler and shooter, and how to give space,” she said. “That’s something I’ll keep working on.”

Her development, the growing chemistry between the frontcourt, and continued bench contributions will be key storylines heading into Friday’s game.

A Chance to Build

Dallas (7–17) now heads to Chase Center to face the Golden State Valkyries on Friday (9 p.m. CT, ION). The Wings won the first meeting 80–71 in June and will look to string together wins for the first time in over a month.

“I think it was a statement. We’re showing people we’re here, and we want to be better,” Geiselsöder said. “We’re not okay with losing or how we’ve been losing. We’re competing, and every game is a new opportunity.”

If Tuesday was any indication, they’re ready to make something of that opportunity.