ARLINGTON, Texas — The Dallas Wings finished the 2023 regular season with the most wins in the franchise's history since it moved to DFW in 2016, and it smashed several other records along the way.
Now, it’s time for the team to stay “locked in" -- as the whole roster has said all season -- as the WNBA Playoffs kick off this week. This is Dallas' third straight trip to postseason play and team ended the regular season as the No. 2 squad in the Western Conference.
Sunday offered a taste of the Wings' much-anticipated Round One matchup against the Atlanta Dream. The Wings ran away in their regular season finale with a 94-77 win over the Dream, helping them sweep the regular season series between the teams, 3-0.
All season long, Dallas' goal was to finish as a top four team in the standings so they could get homecourt advantage when the playoffs began.
The team was able to do just that.
“Finishing this long season exactly where we wanted to be is definitely a good feeling,” Wings star guard Arike Ogunbowale said after Sunday's win against the Dream.
Ogunbowale, along with team "unicorn" Satou Sabally, was just named to the Associated Press' All-WNBA Second Team.
In her fifth season with the Wings, Ogunbowale averaged 21.2 points, 4.5 assists and 1.7 steals per game during the regular season. Her 21.2 points per game was the fifth-highest average in the WNBA. She also recorded the second-most made three-point shots (117) in the league. In the end, she finished the regular season with 849 points, becoming the sixth player in WNBA history to record 800+ points in a single season.
When she and teammate Teaira McCowan were asked how it felt to have ended the regular season with winning records both at home and on the road, they noted their pride in that accomplishment.
“It’s always good going into the playoffs on a win,” McCowan said. “This prepares us for the postseason, so I think we should just keep it going.”
Dallas' head coach Latricia Trammell said the team maintaining its championship mentality throughout the season and consistently being able to rally together should also bode well in the postseason.
“There’s a sisterhood here,” Trammell said. “I’m extremely proud of them... I’m honored and proud to be going on this journey with them."
Take a look at the WNBA Playoff Bracket
The top 8-seeded teams have now advanced to postseason play, and the matchups are set. The playoff format consists of three rounds:
- Round 1: The Wings will host Games 1 & 2 at College Park Center.
- Semifinals: Five game series | Higher seed hosts Games 1, 2 and 5 if necessary. The lower seed hosts Game 3 and Game 4 if necessary.
- Finals: Same format as the Semifinals.
The defending champion Las Vegas Aces are the favorites to win again. But No. 2 seed New York, No. 3 seed Connecticut and No. 4 seed Dallas are all bound to put up the best fight.
When to watch the Wings in the Playoffs
The Wings will face the Dream first on Friday, Sept. 15, at 8:30 p.m., and then on Tuesday, Sept. 19, at 8 p.m. Both games are at home at Arlington's College Park Center, and tickets are on sale now at DallasWings.com.
If you can't score tickets, both Game 1 and Game 2 will air on ESPN2.
If necessary Game 3 will be played in Atlanta on Friday, Sept. 22 -- tipoff TBA.