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ARLINGTON, TX — Tuesday's game against the defending-champion Las Vegas Aces was always going to be a difficult matchup for the Dallas Wings. Yet, the Wings did not back down and challenged the Aces. In the end, the Wings upset the Aces, earning a 93-90 victory.
Las Vegas jumped out to an early lead before Dallas fought back. The Wings tied the game during the third quarter but the Aces ended the quarter with the lead. Dallas fought back again in the fourth quarter en route to the win. Satou Sabally enjoyed a big game, recording 28 points, seven rebounds, five assists and two steals. According to StatMamba, Sabally is now the first player in WNBA history to average the following numbers of better during a five-game span: 20.2 PPG, 6.4 RPG, 4.8 APG, 1.8 SPG and 53.6 percent three-point shooting.
It's safe to say that Sabally, who missed the first-half of the season due to injury, has found her groove since returning. So what did it mean for Sabally to lead Dallas to an upset victory on Tuesday after everything she has been through this season?
“It means having great teammates around me,” Sabally told reporters after the game. “I'm just happy to finally play again, be surrounded by great people. Keep the positive vibes up. I feel like I just slipped into what we already had going. It's really the people around you that make you happy. Obviously I'm just grateful that I can play again because yes, it was a long recovery and it was hard… Now I feel like I've also learned how to cope with that, just learn from the sidelines. Get my body right and get my mind right and that's okay.”
Satou Sabally on what it means to lead the Wings to the win after everything she has been through this season#VoltUp pic.twitter.com/cTcqRa5FE3
— Joey Mistretta (@JoeyMistretta_) August 28, 2024
Defense steps up
Dallas' defense held its own against a potent Las Vegas offense. Containing any team with A'ja Wilson, Jackie Young and Kelsey Plum is difficult, but the Wings played one of their better defensive games of the season.
Wilson still scored 42 points. Nobody else on the Aces scored more than 17, though.
“Yeah, she (Wilson) had 42, but (we) kept everyone else under their averages,” Wings head coach Latricia Trammell said. “We held their bench to only eight points. I'll take that every time. I saw progress coming in from our last game.”
Trammell also noted the Wings' 40-26 rebound advantage, something that played a pivotal role in the win as well.
The 2024 campaign has been a difficult one for the Wings. Tuesday's game was a step in the right direction, however. The fact that they were able to play a competitive game against one of the best teams in the WNBA is a promising sign.
Wings looking to build momentum
Dallas is now 2-3 since the Olympic break. Four of those five games have come against potential WNBA championship contenders. Dallas has been looking to find their rhythm once again as Satou Sabally, Maddy Siegrist and Jaelyn Brown returned from injuries following the break. Perhaps they found it as the Wings have now won back-to-back games.
The schedule will not get any easier for the Wings in their next contest, however, as they will host the Western Conference leading Minnesota Lynx on Friday. Dallas will then play an Indiana Fever team that is trending in a positive direction. Both games will prove to be a challenge, but the Wings are slowly building momentum.
Again, their overall record (8-22) is far from ideal. But the fact that Dallas is healthy once again is important. They are beginning to find their groove which will be crucial moving forward.
