By Morris Phillips
With Elizabeth Cambage out resting on what was supposed to be the occasion of her return to Dallas, the rookie duel–Jackie Young versus Arike Ogunbowale–took center stage at College Park Center on Saturday night.
Young scored a career-best 17 points and the visiting Aces held on for a 75-70 victory despite the absence of their stars, Cambage and A’ja Wilson. The win gave the Aces the season series, 3-0, after the two clubs engineered the blockbuster trade on the eve of the season that brought Cambage to Las Vegas.
Both teams struggled with their shooting, and the Aces got bogged down with turnovers, but that didn’t prevent a spirited finish with both Notre Dame rookies making big baskets down the stretch.
With Dallas trailing 73-70, and seeking a tying basket with 8 seconds remaining, Young intercepted Kaela Young’s pass and was fouled. She converted both free throws for the final margin of victory.
Ogunbowale made three 3-pointers in the final 2:36, but could get the Wings no closer than a one-point deficit. The No. 5 pick in the WNBA draft finished with a team-best 24 points.
“We can’t miss defensive assignments like we did tonight. We can’t miss free throws like we did tonight,” said Aces coach Bill Laimbeer. “All the above leads to losses, but we’re fortunate we got a win on the road.”
Young, the number one selection in the 2019 draft, finished with a team-best 17 points.
“I think the biggest thing is playing hard, just having the confidence to make plays,” Young said.
The Wings fell to 6-16 with the loss while the Aces improved to 15-7, percentage points behind the red-hot Washington Mystics, and a half-game off the pace of the first place Connecticut.
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