{"id":64533,"date":"2025-07-14T09:42:30","date_gmt":"2025-07-14T09:42:30","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/64533\/"},"modified":"2025-07-14T09:42:30","modified_gmt":"2025-07-14T09:42:30","slug":"dallas-wings-fall-to-indiana-fever-end-road-trip-with-0-3-record","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/64533\/","title":{"rendered":"Dallas Wings Fall to Indiana Fever, End Road Trip with 0-3 Record"},"content":{"rendered":"

The Dallas Wings fell 102\u201383 to the Indiana Fever on Sunday afternoon at a sold-out Gainbridge Fieldhouse in the first WNBA meeting between Paige Bueckers<\/a> and Caitlin Clark<\/a>. Bueckers led the Wings with 21 points, four rebounds, four assists, and two steals, while Arike Ogunbowale<\/a> returned to the lineup for the first time since June 28 after missing four games with what she told DallasHoopsJournal.com<\/a> was a torn ligament in her left thumb.<\/p>\n

Ogunbowale, who went 0-for-10 from the field and finished with two points and four assists, said the return came sooner than ideal, but being back on the court mattered more.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt felt good to be back for sure,\u201d Ogunbowale told DallasHoopsJournal.com<\/a>. \u201cMissing a lot of games is tough. You know, I just wanted to be back out there \u2014 even if it was too soon \u2014 just wanted to be back with my team.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI had a tear in my thumb, so definitely just taping it up and trying to get a feel for it,\u201d she added. \u201cBut it\u2019s the first game back, so obviously not what I wanted, but I\u2019ll be better next game.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/p>\n

Li Yueru<\/a> added 16 points, five rebounds, and two assists on a career-high 8-of-11 shooting. It marked her first time scoring in double figures in back-to-back games, following her 18-point performance against Chicago on July 9. JJ Quinerly<\/a> added 13 points in her fifth consecutive start, continuing her stretch of double-digit scoring in each outing.<\/p>\n

Dallas dropped to 6\u201316 on the season, while Indiana improved to 11\u201310. The two teams will meet again on Aug. 1 at American Airlines Center.<\/p>\n

Second Quarter Breaks Game Open<\/strong><\/p>\n

Dallas opened with a new-look starting lineup of Quinerly, Bueckers, Ogunbowale, Luisa Geisels\u00f6der, and Yueru. Yueru scored the Wings\u2019 first four points and assisted Bueckers\u2019 early three-pointer to spark a 16\u201311 lead, but Indiana quickly responded with a 10\u20132 run and took a 28\u201327 edge into the second quarter.<\/p>\n

Then came the turning point. The Fever outscored Dallas 36\u201315 in the second period behind a 33\u20139 run that lasted until the 1:36 mark. Indiana shot 76.2% from the field in the quarter and led 64\u201342 at halftime. Natasha Howard<\/a> and Aliyah Boston<\/a> combined for 17 second-quarter points, and Howard finished the half 5-of-5 from the field.<\/p>\n

The Fever\u2019s aggressive defensive scheme focused on blitzing Bueckers in pick-and-rolls, forcing Dallas into pressured decisions and rushed offensive sets. Despite those challenges, Bueckers said she\u2019s focused on improving her reads in those situations.<\/p>\n

\u201cI still feel like I could\u2019ve taken care of the ball better,\u201d Bueckers said. \u201cBut just making the right read out of the trap, out of them setting a double, and then playing to that advantage.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cJust bringing two to the ball \u2026 creates an advantage for us on the backside playing four against three,\u201d she added. \u201cSo just reading that \u2014 when to use a ball screen, when not to, when to just get out in space \u2026 that\u2019s where I want to grow.\u201d<\/p>\n

The Fever\u2019s 64 points marked the most scored in a half by any team this WNBA season.<\/p>\n

\u201cI think we need to improve on our transition defense,\u201d Quinerly told DallasHoopsJournal.com<\/a>. \u201cThere were times we didn\u2019t give that effort \u2014 that second effort \u2014 to get back, and I think that kind of cost us that second quarter for sure.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ogunbowale echoed the sentiment.<\/p>\n

\u201cI think a lot of those, like you said, were off transition,\u201d she said. \u201cThey didn\u2019t even really have to set up and run something. So if we have better effort, we\u2019ll get those stops.\u201d<\/p>\n

Bueckers also pointed to the second quarter as the stretch that decided the outcome.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt just comes down to effort, and we let them get too comfortable,\u201d Bueckers said. \u201cThey hit shots, sure, but it starts with us not making it tougher. We were playing catch-up from there.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s a Winning Trait\u201d: Ogunbowale\u2019s Return Leaves Leadership Impression<\/strong><\/p>\n

Despite the shooting struggles, Ogunbowale\u2019s demeanor stood out. Wings head coach Chris Koclanes said her shooting was affected by both rust and Indiana\u2019s defense.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou could tell she hadn\u2019t played in a bit. I wish some shots would\u2019ve fallen early for her,\u201d Koclanes said. \u201cShe\u2019s going to get people\u2019s best \u2014 they\u2019re going to be really physical with her. They\u2019re not going to allow her to move, so she\u2019s got to continue to find that balance of really working hard to get up the floor, get to spots, and get off actions. And then I\u2019ve got to continue to help her.\u201d<\/p>\n

That\u2019s when Paige Bueckers jumped in.<\/p>\n

\u201cShe might have \u2014 it might not have been her night shooting the ball \u2014 but the way she continued to stay in the game, not let it affect her effort on both ends of the floor, like her being a leader of this team \u2014 that was huge for me to be able to see that,\u201d Bueckers said. \u201cWe\u2019ve talked about it as individuals, just having one-on-one conversations of how we want to stay unaffected through the refs, through the missed calls, through missed defensive possessions. And so I just want to give a shoutout to her because it wasn\u2019t her night shooting the ball, but I thought the way she stayed within the game \u2014 that\u2019s a winning trait.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ogunbowale said her response was rooted in experience and perspective.<\/p>\n

\u201cLike you said, I\u2019m a vet, I\u2019m a leader,\u201d Ogunbowale told DallasHoopsJournal.com<\/a>. \u201cThere\u2019ve been worse days. But this is a lot of rookies\u2019 first season, and it\u2019s just a new team. So me sulking or being upset isn\u2019t gonna get us anywhere. I\u2019m always gonna be positive.\u201d<\/p>\n

Quinerly agreed.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019re still a team and we\u2019re going to stay together,\u201d Quinerly told DallasHoopsJournal.com<\/a>. \u201cWe\u2019ve got other games to worry about, so having that kind of positivity on the bench or on the court is great.\u201d<\/p>\n

Li Yueru also pointed to second-half growth and the group\u2019s need to learn from early lapses.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe dig a big hole in the first half,\u201d Yueru said. \u201cWe try to get back in the second half, but we still have some problems to figure out. I think we\u2019ll improve that when we get back home.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ogunbowale noted that the team\u2019s lineup instability due to injuries has made it difficult to build rhythm.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s been unfortunate the first half of the season with a lot of people in and out, so it hasn\u2019t really been a consistent lineup \u2014 like a lot of teams around here,\u201d Ogunbowale told DallasHoopsJournal.com<\/a>. \u201cBut nobody feels sorry for us. We just gotta figure it out.\u201d<\/p>\n

Quinerly also reflected on her development through the season\u2019s first half.<\/p>\n

\u201cI think I\u2019m growing,\u201d Quinerly told DallasHoopsJournal.com<\/a>. \u201cI need to figure out how to stay in the game \u2014 the fouls have been a big part of that. And defensively, I\u2019m learning techniques that a lot of vets use to get over screens. Then just making better passes and lowering my turnovers \u2014 that\u2019s something I\u2019m focused on.\u201d<\/p>\n

Wings Battle Late but Can\u2019t Close Gap<\/strong><\/p>\n

Dallas showed resilience in the second half, outscoring Indiana 21\u201320 in the third and 20\u201318 in the fourth. Bueckers and Yueru combined for 13 third-quarter points, with Bueckers adding two rebounds, one assist, and a steal. The Wings closed the third on an 11\u20133 run and carried that momentum into the fourth with an 18\u20137 stretch.<\/p>\n

Geisels\u00f6der scored five of her seven points late in the fourth to help Dallas close the game on a 9\u20130 run.<\/p>\n

The Wings shot 47.9% from the field, 42.1% from beyond the arc, and 63.6% at the line. The Fever finished with five players in double figures, led by 20 points from Kelsey Mitchell<\/a> and a 14-point, 13-assist, five-steal effort from Clark, who recorded her sixth double-double of the season.<\/p>\n

Indiana\u2019s 102 points tied for the most Dallas has allowed this season (Phoenix, July 7).<\/p>\n

Up Next<\/strong><\/p>\n

The Wings return to College Park Center for their final game before the All-Star break, hosting the defending champion Las Vegas Aces on Tuesday, July 16. Tipoff is set for 7 p.m. CT on KFAA and WNBA League Pass.<\/p>\n

Ogunbowale said the group wants to close out the first half of the season with the right approach.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe just want to feel good going into the break,\u201d Ogunbowale told DallasHoopsJournal.com<\/a>. \u201cWin, lose, or draw, we want to give more effort than what we gave today, and just go in there with a positive mindset. Go into All-Star break, reset, and then get ready for Seattle when we\u2019re back.\u201d<\/p>\n

More Dallas Wings News & WNBA Rumors<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"The Dallas Wings fell 102\u201383 to the Indiana Fever on Sunday afternoon at a sold-out Gainbridge Fieldhouse in…\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":64534,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5135],"tags":[5229,2339,233,1596,2470,234,10481,18408,2471,358,3187,67,586,132,5230,68,2969,232],"class_list":{"0":"post-64533","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-dallas","8":"tag-america","9":"tag-arike-ogunbowale","10":"tag-caitlin-clark","11":"tag-dallas","12":"tag-dallas-wings","13":"tag-indiana-fever","14":"tag-jj-quinerly","15":"tag-li-yueru","16":"tag-paige-bueckers","17":"tag-texas","18":"tag-tx","19":"tag-united-states","20":"tag-united-states-of-america","21":"tag-unitedstates","22":"tag-unitedstatesofamerica","23":"tag-us","24":"tag-usa","25":"tag-wnba"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/pubeurope.com\/@us\/114850938936489898","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/64533","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=64533"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/64533\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/64534"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=64533"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=64533"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=64533"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}