Seattle, WA | July 22, 2025 – The Dallas Wings returned from the All-Star break with renewed energy and a powerful statement, dismantling the Seattle Storm 87-63 at Climate Pledge Arena on Tuesday night. Led by Arike Ogunbowale’s milestone night and a complete team performance, the Wings delivered one of their most impressive wins of the season and snapped Seattle’s five-game home winning streak.
Ogunbowale poured in 20 points on 7-of-12 shooting, including a trio of three-pointers, to become the franchise’s all-time leader in field goals made (1,477), surpassing WNBA legend Deanna Nolan. The All-Star guard’s strong second half helped ignite a Wings offense that exploded for 53 points over the final 20 minutes after scoring just 34 in the first half.
Playing in Seattle for the first time since her midseason trade, Li Yueru posted a game-high 10 rebounds and added eight points, anchoring a rebounding unit that dominated the glass and matched its season-high with 48 boards.
Tale of Two Halves
The Wings (7-17) started sluggishly, committing seven turnovers in the first quarter and trailing 19-15. The Storm (14-10) built a pair of 10-point leads in the second frame, taking advantage of 12 Dallas miscues that led to 16 first-half points.
But a buzzer-beating three from Ogunbowale cut Seattle’s lead to 36-34 at halftime and sparked a second-half rally. Dallas came out firing in the third, using a 17-0 run to flip the script and outscore Seattle 32-15 in the period. Ogunbowale led the surge with 11 points in the frame, while Paige Bueckers shook off a quiet start to finish with 14 points and six assists.
“Coming out of the break, we talked about playing with purpose,” head coach Chris Koclanes said. “We were much more composed in the second half, shared the ball, and locked in defensively.”
Key Contributors & Stats
Bueckers’ six assists tied Caitlin Clark’s WNBA record for fastest to 300 points and 100 assists, accomplishing the feat in just 19 games. The rookie also shot 66.7% in the second half, bouncing back from a two-point first half.
Haley Jones added 10 points and six assists off the bench for her second consecutive double-digit scoring performance. Her fourth-quarter spark helped extend the Wings’ lead to as many as 24 — the third-largest margin of victory over the Storm in franchise history and the biggest since July 17, 2013.
JJ Quinerly and Yueru each grabbed seven rebounds as the Wings out-rebounded Seattle by 14. Dallas also continued its hot shooting from deep, drilling 10 three-pointers for the fourth time this season and second straight game. Luisa Geiselsöder, who tallied 11 points, hit a career-best three triples.
Grace Berger, recently signed to a hardship contract, made her Dallas debut in the second quarter, collecting two rebounds and an assist in limited action.
Defensive Clampdown
After allowing 36 first-half points, Dallas clamped down on Seattle in the second. The Storm were held to just 27 points on 25.7% shooting over the final two quarters. Nneka Ogwumike led Seattle with 22 points, but the rest of the roster struggled to find rhythm as the Wings’ defensive rotations and rebounding closed the door.
“Once we stopped turning it over and settled in, the defense fueled everything,” Koclanes said. “The rebounding effort was tremendous.”
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Post Game Press Conference
What’s Next
Dallas continues its West Coast swing Friday night against the expansion Golden State Valkyries at Chase Center. The Wings defeated the Valkyries 80-71 in their first-ever meeting on June 17 in Arlington. Tip-off is set for 9 p.m. CT on ION.
With momentum finally on their side, the Wings will look to carry their second-half dominance in Seattle into the back half of a grueling six-games-in-11-days stretch.
