Ogunbowale Scores Playoff-Record 45 Points to Force Wings Game 3

Arike Ogunbowale scored 45 points, setting a WNBA playoff scoring record, to lift the Dallas Wings past the Golden State Valkyries 108-100 in overtime on Wednesday night and force a deciding Game 3, according to the Associated Press account carried by ESPN.

The win, played in Arlington, Texas, evened the best-of-three first-round series after Golden State won Game 1 by 24 points. Game 3 is set for Friday night in San Francisco.

How did Ogunbowale break the WNBA playoff scoring record?

Ogunbowale's 45 points topped the previous playoff single-game high of 42, a mark shared by three players: Napheesa Collier in 2024, Breanna Stewart in 2022 and Angel McCoughtry in 2010, per ESPN's game report. The performance also shattered her own career playoff best of 24 points and came one game after she managed just 10 points on seven shots in the series opener in San Francisco.

The record-setting stretch began at the end of regulation. With Dallas trailing by three and seconds remaining, point guard Paige Bueckers waved Ogunbowale toward the baseline rather than signaling her to clear out, according to ESPN. Ogunbowale took the pass on the left baseline, dribbled toward the corner and hit an off-balance 3-pointer to send the game to overtime.

"We felt like we got pushed around out there when we played in San Francisco, and especially me, personally, I don't feel like I was aggressive," Ogunbowale said, per ESPN. "I didn't know what I would score. I was—"

What happened in overtime?

Ogunbowale opened the extra period by banking in a 3-pointer, then hit another to put Dallas ahead for good, 103-100, with 1:46 remaining, ESPN reported. The Wings held on to close out the 108-100 win and push the series to a third and final game.

Scoring data

Ogunbowale is a four-time All-Star, according to ESPN.

When and where is Game 3?

The deciding game of the first-round series is scheduled for Friday night in San Francisco, where Golden State beat Dallas by 24 points in the series opener, ESPN reported. The Valkyries, in their second season as a franchise, are trying to reach the playoff semifinals for the first time.

What's at stake for each team?

For Dallas, advancing would mark the second trip to the semifinals in six postseason appearances since the franchise moved to the Dallas area in 2016, per ESPN. The Wings needed Wednesday's comeback simply to keep that path alive after dropping Game 1 by 24 points on the road.

For Golden State, a win in Game 3 would complete the franchise's first playoff series victory. The Valkyries held a commanding edge after Game 1 before Ogunbowale's scoring outburst evened the series.

What to watch in Game 3

• Whether Ogunbowale can sustain Wednesday's shooting volume on the road, after scoring just 10 points in Game 1 in San Francisco.
• How Golden State adjusts defensively after allowing a playoff-record 45-point game on its home floor in the series.
• Paige Bueckers' role setting up Ogunbowale, including the assist on the game-tying 3-pointer at the end of regulation.
• Whether home-court environment in San Francisco affects a series that has now swung sharply in each team's favor once already.

ESPN's game story, including full box-score context and the Associated Press report of Ogunbowale's remarks, is available at espn.com.

How did ESPN characterize the finish?

ESPN's own headline for the recap called the overtime period an "OT classic," describing Ogunbowale's performance as saving the Wings' season while breaking the playoff scoring record, according to the outlet's game story. The network paired its written account with a video segment, "Arike Ogunbowale sets WNBA playoff record with 45 points in Game 2 win," running one minute and 14 seconds, embedded alongside the Associated Press report.

Is there footage of the record-setting run?

ESPN posted video of the sequence alongside its recap, showing Ogunbowale's game-tying 3-pointer at the regulation buzzer and her two overtime 3-pointers that put Dallas ahead for good. The clip is attached directly to the outlet's published game story rather than distributed as a standalone highlight.

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