Dallas Wings down Golden State Valkyries in OT, 108-100
ARLINGTON, Texas (TXAN 24) - The Dallas Wings hosted the Golden State Valkyries on Wednesday night at College Park Center for Game 2 of their first-round 2026 WNBA Playoff series, with the Wings fighting to keep their season alive.
The Valkyries entered a sold-out College Park Center with the crowd dressed in white, but immediately looked comfortable in the hostile environment. Golden State forced a turnover on Dallas’ opening possession before scoring on back-to-back trips to take an early 4-0 lead.
The Wings eventually got on the scoreboard but struggled to erase the early deficit. Golden State connected on four three-pointers during the opening period, keeping Dallas from finding its rhythm.
Dallas finally made its push late in the quarter. Jessica Shepard drove to the basket for a layup that tied the game at 21-21, instantly igniting the Arlington crowd. The Wings closed the first quarter trailing 26-23, but the energy inside College Park Center had shifted.
Coming out of the break, Golden State regained its footing and rebuilt a small lead. Dallas stayed within striking distance, however, thanks in large part to improved ball movement and timely offensive possessions.
Then came a moment that sent College Park Center into a frenzy.
Clark knocked down a three-pointer to tie the game at 41-41. The Valkyries attempted to answer from beyond the arc, but their shot sailed out of bounds, adding even more energy to the home crowd.
Dallas capitalized.
Sims converted a layup before Clark drilled another three-pointer, giving the Wings a five-point advantage heading into halftime.
The Wings carried that momentum into the third quarter, maintaining a narrow lead as several players came through with timely baskets.
Golden State eventually tied the game at 57-57 with just over six minutes remaining in the period before reclaiming the lead.
Dallas continued to battle, but its perimeter defense began to show vulnerabilities. The Valkyries entered the fourth quarter holding a narrow 74-72 advantage.
With the Wings' season hanging in the balance, every possession became critical and the home crowd was feeling the energy. Golden State appeared to have control late in regulation. Gabby Williams extended the Valkyries' lead to 91-88 with a pair of free throws with 1:02 remaining.
Dallas needed a response.
After a Wings turnover, Golden State had another opportunity to close the door, but Dallas continued to fight. Ogunbowale scored with 23.5 seconds remaining to cut the deficit to 91-90. Williams then knocked down two more free throws after a foul, putting Golden State ahead 93-90 with 14.6 seconds remaining.
That left Dallas with one final opportunity and Arike Ogunbowale delivered.
With 4.1 seconds remaining, Ogunbowale connected on an off-balance three-pointer from the corner, tying the game at 93-93 and sending College Park Center into absolute chaos.
The shot gave Ogunbowale 34 points at the time and continued what became one of the greatest playoff scoring performances in WNBA history.
Golden State called timeout and appeared to have a chance to answer. An offensive foul was initially called on Gabby Williams on the ensuing inbound play, which would have given Dallas an opportunity at the free-throw line.
After a replay review, however, the call was overturned. Instead, the teams went to a jump ball with three seconds remaining.The ensuing scramble produced a desperation attempt from Golden State, but the shot missed badly as the buzzer sounded.
Overtime meant the Wings had survived and Ogunbowale was nowhere near finished.
She opened overtime by banking in a three-pointer, immediately putting Dallas in front. She later hit another three-pointer with 1:46 remaining to give the Wings a 103-100 advantage — a lead Dallas would not surrender.
The overtime period became a defensive battle for the Valkyries, who could not find another offensive answer. With the score tied at 98, Ogunbowale and Golden State's Tiffany Hayes were involved in a physical sequence that resulted in both players being assessed flagrant fouls. Each player converted two free throws with 2:26 remaining.
From there, Golden State went silent.
The Valkyries missed their final six shots and finished overtime shooting just 2-for-12 from the field. Dallas continued to attack and pulled away to secure a stunning 108-100 overtime victory.
Ogunbowale finished with a WNBA playoff-record 45 points, including 11 points in the fourth quarter and another 11 in overtime. She shot 12-of-23 from the field, 5-of-8 from three-point range and 16-of-18 from the free-throw line while adding seven rebounds, four assists and three steals.
Alysha Clark added 21 points, while Aziaha James contributed 13 for Dallas. Paige Bueckers finished with 10 points on 3-of-13 shooting in her first postseason appearance.
For Golden State, Gabby Williams produced a career-high 36 points, but the Valkyries could not finish the job after leading late in regulation.
The victory keeps the Wings' season alive and sends the first-round series to a decisive Game 3. Dallas and Golden State will meet Friday night in San Francisco, where the winner will advance to the WNBA semifinals.
For one more night, at least, the lights remain on at College Park Center and the Wings are still dancing.
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