ARLINGTON, Texas — Arike Ogunbowale scored a WNBA playoff-record 45 points on Wednesday, September 30, as the Dallas Wings beat the Golden State Valkyries 108-100 in overtime and forced a deciding Game 3 in their first-round series.
The four-time All-Star delivered the defining shot with Dallas trailing by three late in regulation. After receiving a pass from Paige Bueckers, Ogunbowale made an off-balance corner 3-pointer with 4.1 seconds remaining to tie the game at 93. She then opened overtime with a banked 3 and later put the Wings ahead for good, 103-100, with another 3 at the 1:46 mark.
A record night changes the series
Ogunbowale finished 12 of 23 from the field, 5 of 8 from 3-point range and 16 of 18 at the free-throw line. She scored 11 points in the fourth quarter and another 11 in overtime, surpassing both her previous playoff high of 24 and her overall career high of 41.
Dallas needed the outburst after losing the series opener by 24 points in San Francisco. The Wings also won despite a difficult shooting night for Bueckers, who scored 10 points on 3-of-13 shooting but assisted on Ogunbowale’s tying shot and her first basket of overtime.
Alysha Clark added 21 points for Dallas, tying her playoff career high, while Aziaha James scored 13. For Golden State, Gabby Williams scored a career-high 36 points and Kaila Charles had 14. The Valkyries went scoreless after the game was tied at 100 in overtime and finished 2 of 12 in the extra period.
What comes next
The best-of-three series is tied 1-1. Game 3 is scheduled for Friday night in San Francisco, where Golden State won the opener. The Valkyries are seeking the first playoff-series victory in the franchise’s second season, while Dallas is trying to reach the semifinals for the second time since the franchise moved to the Dallas area in 2016.
The result comes during a first round that has already produced a major individual award: Minnesota forward Jessica Shepard was named the 2026 WNBA Most Improved Player.
Featured image: Markus Spiske/Unsplash. The stock photograph illustrates women’s basketball and does not depict this game.
Sources
- Fox Sports/Associated Press game report, updated October 1, 2026
- NBC Sports/Associated Press game report, published October 1, 2026