The Dallas Wings defeated the Los Angeles Sparks on Sunday, August 25, one day after Kobe Bryant Day. Arike Ogunbowale led the Wings to a 113-110 victory after scoring 33 points and dishing out seven assists. After the game, Ogunbowale talked about what it means to get a win the day after Kobe Bryant Day.

“Of course we always think about Kobe,” Ogunbowale said. “But for the team, it was a great win… We both (Wings and Sparks) have a similar record… last time they beat us at home. That left a bad taste in our mouths. We obviously didn’t start well. But that’s how we finished. It shows you can come back from anything.”

It was certainly an epic win. The Wings pulled off a comeback victory led by Ogunbowale and Natasha Howard. Howard contributed 30 points and seven rebounds in the win. However, it was Teaira McCowan who scored the opening goal late in the fourth quarter.

McCowan’s shot gave the Wings the lead and they never let up.

Wings beat Sparks

The Wings beat the Sparks 84-83 to start the season. However, LA rebounded and won two straight games against Dallas in June and July. The Wings looked to get back on track against the Sparks and they did that in a competitive manner on Sunday.

“Our fourth quarter was probably one of our best we’ve ever had,” Ogunbowale said. “In the league, obviously, every team is good. Being down 11 points with three and a half minutes to go is obviously doable because we did it, but in the WNBA, it’s really hard… It was important for us to stick together and stop the ball when it mattered, even though we didn’t get the stops we should have for over 30 minutes. But we did it when it mattered, so I’m glad we got this win.”

The Wings’ defense has been unreliable at times throughout the 2024 season. That’s partly due to their past injury concerns. Playing without Satou Sabally, Maddy Siegrist and Jaelyn Brown hasn’t helped the situation.

Dallas’ offense has a lot of potential, and if the defense can play at a more consistent level with the aforementioned players now back from injuries, the Wings may be able to make a splash in the home stretch of the season.

However, the Wings’ schedule presents two formidable challenges next. Although they play both games at home, the Wings host the Las Vegas Aces on Tuesday and the Minnesota Lynx on Friday.