Dallas Wings veteran Natasha Howard has been ruled out for Friday's game against the Seattle Storm due to personal reasons. Howard has played well in recent action and she will be missed on Friday night as the Wings prepare for their final home game of the season.

Dallas is already out of playoff contention. Still, they would love to earn a victory in their final home game of the 2024 campaign. Doing so against a talented Storm team will prove to be a challenge, especially without Howard.

Howard's leadership has been crucial for the team. Her play has also been impressive, though. The two-time All-Star is averaging 17.4 points per game on 46 percent field goal shooting. Howard is also recording 6.6 rebounds, 2.9 assists and 1.4 steals per outing.

There is no question that the Wings are a better team with Howard. They will try to upset the Storm on Friday despite her absence. Perhaps the momentum of Arike Ogunbowale's historic feat, as the Wings star broke the Wings' franchise scoring record on Thursday, will work as added motivation for a potential victory on Friday evening.

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Wings preparing for final home game of 2024 WNBA season

Again, the 2024 season has been a frustrating campaign for the Wings. They are near the bottom of the league with a 9-28 record. It has been mentioned quite consistently, but injuries have been problematic for Dallas throughout the season.

The Wings feature more than enough potential to bounce back in 2025. In 2023, they reached the semifinals as Arike Ogunbowale and Satou Sabally led the way. There is reason to believe that Dallas could play at a similar level next year.

At the moment, the Wings will focus on doing everything they can to give the fans at College Park Center some final excitement in 2024. Tip-off is scheduled for 7:30 PM EST in Arlington, TX.