Mercury’s winning streak snapped at 3, Arike Ogunbowale scores 40 points in 107-92 defeat to Wings

To further extend the margin for Dallas, Ogunbowale fired home 11 points to outscore Phoenix 27-17 at the end of the second quarter, leading 52-35. The game turned swiftly into a three-point contest, with the Wings stashing a 6-for-12 (50%) clip and the Mercury going 7-for-17 (41.2%) before halftime.

Up against a superstar like Ogunbowale, Phoenix knew the dangerous threat that she can bring going into the game.

“She’s a good player,” Copper said. “We could have done a better job of slowing her up and talk about our starts… We just got to put a little bit more emphasis on our defense and we got to do it every day.”

Cranking up the intensity, both teams would become more physical in the third as they ferociously drove inside the paint. Rebecca Allen took a hard fall while defending in the quarter and wouldn’t return, suffering a head injury.

Behind by 76-79, the Mercury sparked a gigantic roar from their electric fanbase, aka the “X-Factor,” as they heavily outscored the Wings 34-14 during the third. Frustration started to mount on the faces of Dallas’ players as their lead shredded within single digits.

But to preserve their advantage and ultimately win the game, the combination of Ogunbowale lighting up the rim for 13 fourth-quarter points and scoring at will in the paint both contributed to the Wings’ win.

“This was one of those games where we got dominated in the inside,” Tibbetts said. “Give them [Dallas] credit, that’s their strength. They took full advantage tonight.”

Copper Accomplishes Serious Accolade

With Phoenix Suns superstar Kevin Durant in attendance, Copper accomplished a major milestone that less than 85 players in the WNBA have ever done.

On a three-point jumper with 55.7 seconds remaining in the third quarter, she scored the 3,000th point of her WNBA career. Prior to the game, she had 2,977.

Finishing the night with 3,009 points, she surpassed former Mercury Marie Ferdinand-Harris (3,001) for 84th all-time in WNBA history.

Not knowing that she was close to the achievement, Copper was gracious of it even though getting a win was more important.

“I was caught by surprise, I am proud of myself,” Copper said.

Having a star at her righthand side, Taurasi explained how special the milestone is and Copper as a player in general.

“Sometimes you get caught up in your career, and it is sometimes nice to step back,” Taurasi said. “Its not easy, its not easy in this league. It’s not easy to sustain a high level of play, and Kah has been doing that for years now. Credit to her and her hard work.”

Next Games

Mercury: Away at Connecticut Sun (4-0) | May 28 | 4 p.m. PT

Mystics: Away at Los Angeles Sparks (1-3) | May 26 | 6 p.m. PT