ARLINGTON, Texas — A sluggish start to the second half did not last long for the Dallas Wings as they pulled away in the third quarter to defeat the Connecticut Sun at home 83-63.
Dallas closed the third quarter with a 20-2 run for the victory over Connecticut Sun on Sunday at College Park Center. The win snapped a two-game losing streak and improved the Wings to 19-11.
Jessica Shepard and Arike Ogunbowale scored 15 points apiece to lead a balanced Dallas offense. Shepard added nine rebounds, while Ogunbowale made seven of her nine shots and finished with five assists.
The Wings carried a 48-37 advantage into halftime but opened the third quarter with a series of missed shots and turnovers. Connecticut cut into the lead before Dallas regrouped following a timeout.
The response decided the game.
Dallas turned a nine-point advantage into a 72-45 lead by the end of the quarter and outscored the Sun 24-8 in the period as Connecticut only made three of its 15 field-goal attempts.
Azzi Fudd provided a lift from the perimeter, scoring 12 points and making four of five attempts from 3-point range as the Wings shot 48% from the field and made seven 3-pointers despite getting only six points from Paige Bueckers.
Dallas also controlled the interior, outscoring Connecticut 46-24 in the paint.
The Wings’ bench contributed 31 points, allowing the starters to spend much of the fourth quarter on the sideline after the lead grew to as many as 32.
Diamond Miller led Connecticut with a season-high 22 points and made four 3-pointers. Kennedy Burke added 14 points, while Olivia Nelson-Ododa finished with eight points and 11 rebounds.
The Sun played without leading scorer Brittney Griner, who missed her fourth consecutive game because of a left knee issue.
Connecticut fell to 7-23 and finished its six-game road trip with five losses.
The victory gave Dallas its first home win over Connecticut since Aug. 12, 2023, and its first double-digit victory since defeating the Toronto Tempo on July 10.
The Wings travel to Washington on Wednesday to take on the Mystics as they look to stay in the winning column. Tip-off is set for 6:30 p.m.
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