Dream hand Wings first loss in home opener as Dallas offense stalls late

The Dallas Wings faced their first real test of the season Tuesday night. Unlike their season opener in Indy, this one did not go their way.

The Atlanta Dream defeated the Wings 77-72 at College Park Center, spoiling Dallas’ home opener after the Wings held a one-point lead going into the fourth quarter. Atlanta wore Dallas down late with physicality, rebounding and defensive pressure.

Arike Ogunbowale led Dallas with 20 points, while Paige Bueckers added 15. Atlanta’s Allisha Gray scored 26 points, and Angel Reese added 12 points and 16 rebounds for her 51st career double-double.

Ogunbowale said Dallas did not play well enough defensively on a night when the offense sputtered.

“Our defense wasn’t that good today,” Ogunbowale said. “On a day that we’re not really hitting shots, we have to pick it up on the defensive end.”

Dallas led 41-38 at halftime and by one entering the final period, but Atlanta began the fourth quarter on a 6-0 run. Dallas never recovered.

“They started off on a 6-0 run, and we kind of never got it back from there,” Ogunbowale said. “Just try to take advantage of the breaks and come out stronger, and then just better defense.”

Dallas shot 4-of-26 from beyond the arc after pouring in 107 points against Indiana to open the season. Ogunbowale said Dallas still created quality looks, but had to be better on the defensive end.

“We definitely got a lot of good shots. We just couldn’t knock them down today,” Ogunbowale said. “We can’t score 100 every game. That would be nice, but we can’t. And there’s gonna be times where we don’t knock it down, but we have to stop the other team.”

Before the game, Bueckers said Dallas knew it would not always shoot like it did in the opener.

“We’re not ignorant enough to know that not every night is going to be a great shooting night, so we got to rely on our defense to set the tone for our offense,” Bueckers said.

Defense became the issue. Atlanta made Dallas work for shots in the paint, denied Dallas’ first actions and forced the Wings into scoring droughts.

“They were playing physical,” Ogunbowale said. “They see we like to kick the ball, spread the ball. I think they were really guarding our first action as well. And then we kind of just got stagnant.”

Before the game, Naz Hillmon said Atlanta wanted to match Dallas’ energy while making life difficult for the Wings’ frontcourt and guards. That approach showed up throughout the night as the Dream turned the game into a more physical matchup and disrupted Dallas’ offensive rhythm.

“I’m making sure that I’m rim running. I’m also rebounding the ball,” Hillmon said pregame. “I want to make sure I’m being a helping hand for my teammates.”

“We need to do a better job when the ball’s not going in the basket,” Head coach Jose Fernandez said. “The ball’s got to move for us a lot better. I thought the ball was stuck.”

Fernandez added that Atlanta’s length and physicality affected Dallas, particularly as the Dream denied transition opportunities and forced the Wings into halfcourt offense.

“They were physical,” Fernandez said. “I thought they really got in us, and we got to do a much better job using our screens and setting screens and reading.”

Atlanta came in expecting that to be the case. At shootaround, Gray said Atlanta had to lock down defensively on Dallas in transition and when defending ball screens.

“They’re really good in the ball screen,” Gray said. “They’re really good at getting out in transition. So those are two keys to help us win the game.”

Reese had similar praise for Dallas’ guards before the game.

“The guards are great,” Reese said. “They’re quick going down the middle from their starters to their bench.”

Atlanta’s bigs had the biggest impact late. Reese’s rebounding allowed the Dream to sustain possessions and dictate the pace of play.

Before tipoff, Alanna Smith said it would take all five Dallas players to slow Reese on the glass.

“She’s going to produce,” Smith said. “That’s what she does when she’s on the floor. She gets rebounds. So you just have to make it difficult. And it’s not a one-person job. It’s everyone’s job on the floor to help out, gang rebound and do it as a team.”

Awak Kuier said Atlanta proved itself on the boards with physical play.

“They’re a very physical team,” Kuier said. “I think sometimes they just kind of won in the toughness and we would kind of just be more passive.”

Fernandez said this game served as the first time this new group has lost together.

“This is the first time since we’ve been together that you lose a game, you have a little adversity,” Fernandez said. “You don’t want this game to affect the next one. That’s the most important thing.”

Dallas will look to avoid that as it hosts the Minnesota Lynx on Thursday to continue its three-game homestand.

“You [have] to have short-term memory,” Fernandez said. “Not let this game affect the next one.”