On Saturday, the Dallas Wings officially tipped off their 2023 season with an 85-78 win over the Atlanta Dream.
Dallas used a dominant second quarter which included a 19-0 run and clutch play down the stretch to hang on for a win.
Although it was only the first game, there were still plenty of things that we learned about the Wings.
Here is everything we learned from the 2023 season opener.
Arike, Satou, and Natasha Howard Could Be a New Big Three
Saturday, the newly formed big three of Arike Ogunbowale, Satou Sabally, and Natasha Howard combined for 72 of the 85 points the Wings scored.
Not only was the trio big on the offensive end, but Howard and Sabally each also had two blocks, including Satou Sabally’s block with 27.8 seconds left to essentially seal the game.
After the game, Sabally said:
“I knew she was gonna shoot it; once that block hits, you know, it’s just a great feeling.”
This trio is going to be what carries the team on the offensive end, as we saw on Saturday, and if they can keep scoring at a high level, Dallas is going to have one of the best offenses in the W.
The Wings Have to Keep Games Like This Out of Hand, The Whole Way Through
At one point in this game, the Wings led by 22 points…this game came down to just about the final possession.
To Atlanta’s credit, they did a good job of hanging around for much of the game, but Dallas just has to put this one away quicker, especially on their home floor.
Nonetheless, that is something that should get better with time, but if Dallas can’t close out games, eventually, it will come back to bite them.
Arike Ogunbowale is Still a Bucket
Did we already know this? Yes, but is it still super impressive? Also, yes. On Saturday, Ogunbowale finished with a game-high 27 points.
The pressure is on the Wings superstar this season because if the Wings want to be an elite team, Ogunbowale has to be one of the best players in the W.
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