Dallas, TX
3 Reasons Wings Will Shock The World With Upset Of Aces In 2023 WNBA Playoffs
The second round of the 2023 WNBA Playoffs has not even started yet, but everybody already expects the Las Vegas Aces to just breeze their way past the Dallas Wings in their best-of-five series that will tip off on Sunday at the Michelob Ultra Arena. Do the Wings have any chance to shock the world and upset the reigning champs, who have the WNBA on a stranglehold?
Quite frankly, the likelihood of Dallas pulling off a miracle is unlikely. But we have seen unlikely things happen in basketball. The Aces have looked immovable so far in the WNBA Playoffs after they swept through the Chicago Sky in the first round.
But the Wings also took care of business against the Atlanta Dream and closed out their first-round opponents with a convincing 101-74 win to complete a sweep. Dallas carried the momentum into Game 2 from a valiant effort in Game 1 that saw them storm back from a 20-point deficit to take the series opener.
With that, the Wings head into this second-round series against the defending champion Aces with a ton of confidence. Though Vegas is the best team in women’s basketball right now, Dallas star Arike Ogunbowale believes anything is possible. With that said, here are three reasons the Dallas Wings will shock the world and pull off the major upset over the Las Vegas Aces in the 2023 WNBA Playoffs.
1. Wings have beaten the Aces before
Dallas did go just 1-3 against Las Vegas during the regular season. Nonetheless, the Wings did defeat them during one of their Commissioner’s Cup games in early July. As such, Dallas knows that the champs are beatable and it knows what it takes to take down Las Vegas in a game that has some semblance of importance.
In that game, the Wings overcame a six-point Aces lead after three quarters and outscored the reigning champs in the fourth period 20-12. Natasha Howard was the woman of the hour for the Wings after she nailed the game-winning freethrows with 0.4 seconds remaining to deal Las Vegas just its second loss of the season
Dallas had all five starters score in double-figures that game, with Arike Ogunbowale leading the way with 21 points on 9-of-21 shooting to go along with four steals and two triples. Natasha Howard (16 points and 11 rebounds) and Teaira McCowan (14 points and 10 rebounds) both registered double-doubles in the win. Crystal Dangerfield and Satou Sabally both had all-around performances as well. Dangerfield tallied 14 points (7-of-12 shooting) with five rebounds, six assists, and three steals, while Sabally had 10 points, five boards, five dimes, and five swipes.
This is Dallas at its best, both offensively and defensively. It will be a challenge for all five Wings starters to put together a string of games like they did on July 7th. Nonetheless, this team is hungry to prove it belongs here.
2. Wings finding their stroke from beyond the arc
Three-point shooting will be a huge factor in this series. The Aces are one of the best three-point shooting teams in the league (37.2 percent on 9.3 makes per game) while the Wings are the worst (31.7 percent). Their best shooters — Arike Ogunbowale and Satou Sabally — are both average snipers from long distance. Ogunbowale made nearly three three-pointers per game during the regular season, but shot just over 34 percent. Meanwhile, Sabally led the team in three-point shooting percentage at 36.3 percent and made 1.7 per contest.
On the one hand, Las Vegas has three legitimate snipers on its team. Jackie Young was second in the league in three-point shooting percentage during the regular season at 44.9 percent, while Chelsea Gray was seventh at 42.1 percent. Kelsey Plum, who led the team in makes per game (2.4), shot 38.9 percent from beyond the arc.
Despite the major discrepancy in three-point shooting, Dallas has been the better three-point shooting team in the playoffs so far. The Wings have converted 36.8 percent from deep in two games, while the Aces have shot just 32.6 percent, which is well below their regular season percentage.
Sure, this is just a two-game sample size for both squads. But it is still worth noting. Who knows, this may be the indication that the Wings will now catch fire from beyond the arc the rest of the postseason.
3. Wings have the advantage in the paint
Realistically speaking, the three-point shooting may be an outlier for Dallas so far in these playoffs. But what we’re sure about is that the Wings had Las Vegas’ number inside the paint during the regular season.
The Wings are the best team in the WNBA in generating second chance opportunities and led the league in offensive rebounds at 11.8 per game. This in turn converted into 14.8 second chance points per game for Dallas, which also ranked No. 1 in the Dub. Teaira McCowan, Satou Sabally, and Natasha Howard were all in the top-10 in offensive rebounding during the regular season.
As much as Howard’s heroics directly caused their lone win over the Aces, the Wings won that game from the interior. They dominated the glass with a 36-25 rebounding advantage and pummeled the defending champs with 46 points inside the paint compared to Vegas’ 22.
Quite frankly, that was the trend throughout their four-game series from May through September. They outrebounded Las Vegas on the offensive glass 46-22.
If Dallas is able to control the paint versus the Aces, they might just have a chance.
WEST DALLAS – Loved ones of a 17-year-old girl killed in a shooting over the weekend held a balloon release in her honor.
The high school senior’s family says she was with a group of friends in West Dallas when some sort of fight happened, leading to gunfire.
The teen’s family says she was struck by a stray bullet.
Dallas police didn’t provide any details.
West Dallas shooting
What we know:
At the Trinity Overlook in West Dallas, there’s a growing memorial for 17-year-old Angela Nino-Herrera, a Dallas ISD senior who was killed in a shooting over the weekend.
Nino-Herrera’s family confirmed to Fox 4 the Hillcrest High School senior was shot and killed early Sunday morning.
Dallas Police showed up at a mother’s door on Sunday after her daughter didn’t come home. Officers responded to a parking lot near Commerce Street and Beckley just after 4 am.
The witness, 19-year-old Rena Garcia, didn’t know Nino-Herrera personally but tells Fox 4 nearly 50 people gathered at the Trinity Outlook the morning of the shooting.
Garcia says she noticed a fight taking place feet away, just before the shooting began.
“They started shooting. They drove down the street and just kept shooting out of the door, out of the window of the car,” said Garcia. “It was multiple guns. Multiple people just shooting. Just anyone and everything they could see. It was terrible.”
One of the bullets hit Nino-Herrera, who later died at the hospital.
On Wednesday, family and friends had a balloon release in the teenager’s honor.
What they’re saying:
Nino-Herrera’s older sister, Aileen Marie Nino, pleads for the violence to stop.
“It was people being stupid, with guns…” said Marie Nino. “It wasn’t right. That is the least my sister deserves,”
“She had plans. She had hopes. She had dreams,” said the victim’s mother, Marcela Nino.
What’s next:
That witness told police the suspect vehicle was a black Dodge Charger.
Dallas police did not provide clear answers to FOX 4’s questions about potential suspect information or the circumstances that led to the shooting, only saying the investigation is “ongoing.”
The Source: Information in this article is from the Dallas Police Department.
The Dallas Cowboys are ramping up their efforts to get familiar with some of the top prospects in the 2025 NFL Draft class. This week, head coach Brian Schottenheimer made the trip to Columbus to check out the high-profile Ohio State Buckeyes Pro Day.
Also in attendance was Cowboys defensive coordinator Matt Eberflus.
The Cowboys have several needs where the Buckeyes star players would fill out the roster, notably at running back, wide receiver, and along the defensive line.
MORE: Cowboys trade down, land 3 national title winners in 4-round NFL mock draft
Standout Ohio State prospects who have been linked to Dallas in mock drafts over the past few weeks are wide receiver Emeka Egbuka, running backs TreVeyon Henderson and Quinshon Judkins, and defensive end Jack Sawyer.
With Dallas’ need for a backup quarterback, Will Howard is also an intriguing prospect.
Cowboys DC Matt Eberflus is also in attendance
— Nick Harris (@NickHarrisFWST) March 26, 2025
Dallas holds the No. 12 overall pick in the fhe draft which gives them some flexibility. The previously mentioned players are all expected to be available when the Cowboys are on the clock, but they could also trade back to pick up additional draft capital while targeting one of the players on Day 2.
MORE: Cowboys urged to trade back in NFL Draft if top prospect is off board
It’s going to be interesting to see how it all plays out, but the Cowboys certainly have a close eye on Ohio State.
The 2025 NFL Draft will be held in Green Bay, Wisconsin, with the first round on Thursday, April 24. Rounds 2 and 3 will be held on Friday, April 25, while the final rounds will play out on Saturday, April 26.
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Karl-Anthony Towns had 26 points, 12 rebounds and 11 assists for his first triple-double in more than three years, helping the New York Knicks defeat the Dallas Mavericks 128-113 on Tuesday night.
OG Anunoby had 35 points, and Josh Hart added 16 points, 12 rebounds and 11 assists for his ninth triple-double of the season. New York (45-26) shot 59.6% and won its second straight.
Naji Marshall had a career-high 38 points, and Brandon Williams chipped in 22 points. The Mavericks (35-38) fell for the 10th time in 13 games.
Takeaways
Dallas: A night after shooting 56.3% from the field in their win Monday in Brooklyn, the Mavericks again started hot by making 28 of 43 field goals in the first half. But Dallas was worn down by New York’s depth, getting outscored 60-45 in the second half.
New York: With Mavericks center Anthony Davis (adductor strain) out, Towns went to work, scoring 24 first-half points. The center, who is third in the NBA in double-doubles, posted his first triple-double since Jan. 30, 2022, and helped New York record 40 assists on 59 field goals.
Key moment
Marshall made 13 of 15 first-half field goals and helped Dallas shoot 65.1% and remain even at 68 at halftime.
But the Knicks turned up the defensive intensity in the third quarter, opening with a 7-0 run. The Mavericks made just 4 of 18 field goals, and New York outscored Dallas 30-16 in the third.
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