The New York Liberty fell on the road in Dallas in their first game back from the All-Star break. They sit two games out of the playoffs.
Arike Ogunbowale tallied 22 points, one of five Dallas Wings in double-figures. The high-scoring efforts led to Dallas earning an 87-64 win over the New York Liberty on Thursday night at College Park Center.
The Liberty (8-12) dropped their first game after the WNBA All-Star break in a game they trailed by as much as 30. They briefly led in the second quarter, however, Dallas capped things off on a 26-7 run. The rookie Ogunbowale played a big factor in the turnaround. In the teams’ first meeting in New York, the Notre Dame alumna shot 2-of-23 from the field. It only took two attempts to reach that success rate in Arlington.
Start strong, finish stronger ?
The BEST plays from @Arike_O's solid performance against New York #Together #WatchMeWork pic.twitter.com/DEaoZYqBB7
— WNBA (@WNBA) August 2, 2019
As a team, Dallas (6-15) shot 61 percent in the first half, following Ogunbowale’s example. Fellow rookie Megan Gustafson made major interior contributions, getting to the line six times for perfect trips. The Wings’ second-round pick tied her career-high with 11 points.
Alisha Gray came one assist short of a double-double with 13 points and 9 assists. Gray began her scoring with eight points in the second after behind held scoreless in the opener. Dallas would go on to outscore the Liberty by a 30-13 margin in the fateful second quarter.
Positives from the Liberty came from Asia Durr. New York’s own first-round pick scored 10 points in the first quarter alone. Durr was likely on a minutes limit on Thursday, which saw her most significant action since she began to deal with a groin strain. Kia Nurse, one of New York’s All-Star representatives led the Liberty in scoring with 13, and Rebecca Allen added 11 more.
outlet pass from @KayNurse11 ? @A_Hooper25 ! ? pic.twitter.com/2NJmRgmFKh
— New York Liberty (@nyliberty) August 2, 2019
That quick release ? @becallen8 #LibertyLoud pic.twitter.com/jb3XPJtJ9B
— WNBA (@WNBA) August 2, 2019
The Liberty also managed to win the fourth quarter, outscoring Dallas 16-9. Han Xu stepped in to tally four late points.
Despite the loss, the Liberty still sit just two games out of the WNBA’s final playoff spot, behind both Phoenix and Minnesota. They’ll face Dallas one more time for a rubber match on August 16 back in Arlington.
.@KBT_5Blessed DENIES the shot ? #Together
? @NBATV pic.twitter.com/cnwvBkzlck
— WNBA (@WNBA) August 2, 2019
The Liberty will return to action, making their post-All-Star debut at home against the league-leading Connecticut Sun (3:00 p.m. ET, YES).
