ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — Arike Ogunbowale was standing near Paige Bueckers waiting for the star guard to make a move on her dribble with the Dallas Wings trailing by three as the final seconds of regulation — and their season — ticked away.
asserted
seconds → stand → regulation
Bueckers waved toward her backcourt mate, but she wasn’t telling Ogunbowale to get out of the way.
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she → wave → way
She was telling her to get open.
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She → tell → her
After all, Bueckers knew who the hot hand was — and it wasn’t the 2025 No. 1 overall pick and Rookie of the Year who is in her first playoff series.
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who → know → series
Ogunbowale took a pass from Bueckers on the left baseline, dribbled toward the corner and hit an off-balance corner 3-pointer, sending the game to overtime and her on the way to a WNBA playoff-record 45 points as the Wings won a thriller 108-100 on Wednesday night, forcing a Game 3 in their first-round series.
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Wings → take → series
The deciding game will be Friday night in San Francisco, where the Valkyries won the series opener by 24 points.
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Valkyries → decide → points
Golden State is trying to advance in the playoffs for the first time in the franchise’s second season.
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State → try → season
The Wings are trying to reach the semifinals for the second time in six postseason appearances since moving to the Dallas area in 2016.
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Wings → try → 2016
Ogunbowale opened the extra period of Game 2 by banking in a 3, then hit another one to put Dallas ahead for good at 103-100 with 1:46 remaining.
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Ogunbowale → open → 1:46
The four-time All-Star easily topped her previous playoff best of 24 points after scoring 10 points on just seven shots in the series opener.
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Star → top → opener
“We felt like we got pushed around out there when we played in San Francisco and especially me personally I don’t feel like I was aggressive,” Ogunbowale said.
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Ogunbowale → feel → Francisco
“I didn’t know what I would score.
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I → know → what
I was going to shoot regardless because I just feel like seven shots isn’t enough to win playoffs and I have to be aggressive whether it’s going in or not.”
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it → go → playoffs
Bueckers, who scored 10 points, was mired in a 3-for-13 shooting night that included an air ball on a 3-pointer with the Wings trailing by three in the final two minutes of regulation.
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Wings → score → regulation
But she assisted on Ogunbowale’s tying 3, and again on a the banked 3 to start OT.
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she → assist → OT
Bueckers had four assists.
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Bueckers → have → assists
“For us to do what we did today without Paige having the type of game that she always has offensively for us, to come out with a win is huge,” Wings coach Jose Fernandez said.
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Fernandez → do → win
“We had other people step up.”
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people → have → ?
Ogunbowale’s shot for a 93-93 tie with 4.1 seconds left in regulation of Game 2 was followed by Gabby Williams getting called for an offensive foul on the inbound play after a Golden State timeout.
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Williams → leave → timeout
That call was reversed on replay, so instead of Aziaha James having a chance to give Dallas the lead at the free-throw line, there was a jump ball at center court with 3.0 seconds to go.
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James → reverse → seconds
Williams scored a career-high 36 points, regular season or playoffs, but missed all six of her shots in the final 1:31 of overtime to finish 12 of 23 from the field.
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Williams → score → field
“We got one at home, and we got to bring our best,” Valkyries coach Natalie Nakase said.
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Nakase → get → best
Tomorrow’s got to be clear minds, clear focus, clear game plan, and then be ready to go for the game at home.”
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Tomorrow → get → home
Ogunbowale scored 22 points in the fourth quarter and overtime — 11 in each period.
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Ogunbowale → score → period
She passed her previous overall career high of 41 points with the 3 that put Dallas up for good.
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that → pass → Dallas
Dallas’ Alysha Clark tied her playoff career high with 21 points, and Aziaha James added 13.
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James → tie → 13
Kaila Charles scored 14 points for the Valkyries, and Kayla Thornton had 13.
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Thornton → score → 13
With the scored tied at 98 in the extra period, Ogunbowale and Tiffany Hayes had to be separated after making contact.
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Ogunbowale → score → contact
Both were called for flagrant fouls, and each made a pair of free throws with 2:26 remaining.
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each → call → 2:26
The Valkyries didn’t score again, shooting 2 of 12 in overtime.
asserted
Valkyries → score → overtime
The Aporia
