ARLINGTON, Texas — Positioned close to Paige Bueckers, Arike Ogunbowale watched for the elite guard to initiate her drive while the Dallas Wings faced a three-point deficit in the dying moments of regulation, with their entire postseason hanging in the balance.
Rather than gesturing for her backcourt partner to clear space, Bueckers signaled for Ogunbowale to break free and find an open spot.
Ultimately, Bueckers recognized which player held the hot hand, and she knew it was not herself.
Receiving Bueckers’ pass along the left baseline, Ogunbowale drove to the corner and sank a difficult, off-balance three-pointer to force overtime. This clutch shot propelled her to a historic, WNBA-playoff-record 45 points as the Wings secured a dramatic 108-100 victory on Wednesday, keeping their season alive and forcing a deciding Game 3 in the opening round.
The winner-take-all matchup is scheduled for Friday evening in San Francisco, the site of the Valkyries’ dominant 24-point victory in Game 1.
Golden State aims to secure its first-ever playoff series advancement in just its sophomore year of existence. Meanwhile, the Wings are looking to book their second trip to the semifinal stage across six postseason campaigns since relocating to Dallas in 2016.
Ogunbowale kicked off overtime in Game 2 with a banked-in shot from beyond the arc, followed by another crucial long-range bucket that gave Dallas a permanent 103-100 lead with 1:46 left on the clock. The four-time All-Star shattered her prior postseason high of 24 points, bouncing back from a modest 10-point, seven-shot performance in the series opener.
“It felt like we were physically dominated when we played in San Francisco, and on a personal level, I wasn’t nearly aggressive enough,” Ogunbowale reflected. “I wasn’t sure how many points I would end up with, but I committed to shooting the ball because seven attempts simply won’t cut it in the postseason. I have to remain assertive, regardless of whether the shots fall or not.”
Bueckers, selected first overall in 2025 and named Rookie of the Year, struggled through a difficult 3-of-13 shooting performance in her debut postseason series, which included an air-balled three-pointer when the Wings were down by three late in regulation. Nevertheless, she delivered the assist on Ogunbowale’s game-tying shot and set up the banked-in three to open overtime, completing her night with 10 points and four assists.
“To pull off this victory on a night when Paige didn’t have her usual explosive offensive impact is massive for our squad,” remarked Wings head coach Jose Fernandez. “We had several other contributors rise to the occasion.”
Immediately after Ogunbowale tied the score at 93 with 4.1 seconds left in regulation, Gabby Williams was whistled for an offensive foul during the inbounds pass following a timeout by Golden State.
However, the ruling was overturned upon official review. Rather than Aziaha James stepping up to the free-throw line with a chance to put Dallas ahead, play resumed with a jump ball at midcourt with only 3.0 seconds remaining. Following a hectic battle for possession, Golden State’s final heave missed wide of the mark after the horn sounded.
Williams recorded a career-best 36 points across both regular-season and playoff competition, but she struggled down the stretch, missing her final six field-goal attempts in the last 91 seconds of overtime to finish the night shooting 12-of-23.
“We earned a win on our home court, and now we must perform at our highest level,” stated Valkyries head coach Natalie Nakase. “Tonight’s effort fell short of that. Tomorrow demands a clear focus, a clear mindset, and a refined game plan so we are fully prepared to defend our home floor.”
Ogunbowale accounted for 22 points across the fourth quarter and overtime, splitting them evenly with 11 in each frame. Her go-ahead three-pointer in overtime pushed her past her previous career high of 41 points.
Alysha Clark of the Wings matched her personal postseason record with a 21-point performance, while teammate Aziaha James contributed 13 points.
For the Valkyries, Kaila Charles registered 14 points, while Kayla Thornton added 13 to the scoreboard.
As the score sat locked at 98 in overtime, players had to intervene to separate Ogunbowale and Tiffany Hayes following physical contact. The referees assessed flagrant fouls to both players, who subsequently knocked down two free throws each with 2:26 left on the clock.
The Valkyries went scoreless for the remainder of the game, completing overtime with a cold 2-of-12 shooting performance.
