Arika Ogunbowale had 33 points, Natasha Howard added 30 and the Dallas Wings came back from down 19 to beat the Los Angeles Sparks 113-110 during the WNBA action on the weekend. Odyssey Sims had 24 points in the first three quarters and Los Angeles (6-24) opened a 92-73 lead.
Howard and Ogunbowale changed the Wings’ fate in the final minutes of the fourth quarter as the two superstars were trading buckets to bring their team within one possesion from the Sparks, 109-107, with 64 seconds remaining. Teaira McCowan knotted the score with a layup and gave Dallas the lead with a rebound basket with seven seconds to go.
Satou Sabally scored 19 and McCowan finished with 17 points and 11 rebounds for the winning side. Sims led the way for the Sparks with 26 points and 10 assists.
In a special night, where Lynx hosted a jersey retirement ceremony for Maya Moore Irons’ No. 23 immediately following the game, Minnesota was able to clinch its playoff spot.
Napheesa Collier scored 31 points and Kayla McBride scored eight of her 19 points in the fourth quarter to help the Minnesota Lynx clinch a playoff berth with a 90-80 win over Caitlin Clark and the Indiana Fever.
Clark, the No. 1 pick in the draft, led Indiana (13-16) with 23 points and eight assists. Bridget Carleton hit four 3-pointers and finished with 16 points for Minnesota.
After the game, Maya Moore-Irons joined Seimone Augustus (No. 33), Rebekkah Brunson (No. 32), Sylvia Fowles (No. 34) and Lindsay Whalen (No. 13) as the only players in franchise history to see their jerseys retired.
The 35-year-old Moore played her last WNBA game in 2018, and she helped the Lynx win four WNBA championships. She earned the 2014 MVP and the 2013 Finals MVP honors.
In Chicago, A’ja Wilson prevented defending champions Las Vegas Aces from blowing a 13-point lead and hit a lay-up at the buzzer to lead her team to a 77-75 win over the Chicago Sky. Wilson, a two-time MVP for the two-time defending champions, finished with 20 points and 18 rebounds for her 21st double-double this season.
Chelsea Gray chipped in 11 points, eight rebounds, and seven assists with the last one coming in Wilson’s winning basket. Angel Reese, who became the first player in the WNBA history to rack up 20 rebounds in back-to-back games in the first two losses, is now the first to record 20 in three straight.
Chennedy Carter led all scorers for the Chicago Sky with 25. Reese grabbed a season-high 22 rebounds for Chicago (11-18).
WNBA results from the weekend
Connecticut Sun (22-7) vs New York Liberty (25-5) 72-64
Indiana Fever (13-16) vs Minnesota Lynx (22-8) 80-90
Las Vegas Aces (18-11) vs Chicago Sky (11-18) 77-75
Los Angeles Sparks (6-24) vs Dallas Wings (7-22) 110-113
