Dallas Wings' Playoff Hopes hinge on Consistent Shooting
The team's inconsistent shooting must be solved if Dallas plans to make a deep playoff run.
With the WNBA season winding down, teams are doing everything they can to solve their season woes. This proves to be no different for the Dallas Wings, as on any given day the squad can bounce from ninth in the standings to sixth.
Some of the biggest hurdles many bubble playoff teams are facing include the inability to maintain a winning record within their conference, and their lack of success on the road. For the Wings, it all begins at home.
Over the past five homes, Dallas has gone 2-3. For the season they are 5-8 at home and 7-7 on the road. The team must find a way to win at home, as five of their next seven games will be at College Park Center.
One reason for the Wings’ inconsistency stems from the team’s unpredictable shooting. Look back at their home game against the Chicago Sky two weeks ago. On July 16th Arike Ogunbowale and company shot 39.4 percent from the field. A week later the Wings played the Sky on the road. During the game, they made 51.5 percent of their attempts but drained merely 26.7 of their threes.
For the season the Dallas Wings are shooting 42.7 percent. League-wide, that mark ranks Dallas 9th overall in field goal percentage. Some of their biggest struggles include their ability to make shots from beyond the arc. In the past two games, they went 3-14 from three, while going 0-4 in a win on Sunday. Overall they are hitting 34.2 percent of their attempted threes. A number that places Dallas 8th in the league.
Guard Marina Mabrey has a 40.9 shooting percent this season, but you wouldn’t know that based on her past two games. On July 22nd against the Sky Mabrey made one out of her four shot attempts. Fast forward to this past Sunday and not much changed. Against the Indiana Fever, the 5’11 guard went 3-13 and finished with a field goal percentage of 23.1.
However, there is plenty of optimism for Dallas. Over the past two games, the team has shot 51.8 percent. In each of those games, All-Star Ogunbowale shot above 45 percent. Against Indiana on Sunday, the Dallas all-star dropped 22 points on 50 percent shooting.
Along with that, Dallas has done an excellent job at keeping teams from scoring above 90 points. In five of their past games, only one score ended with the opponent scoring above 89 points.
If the Wings can find some sort of consistency in their shooting as a team and from players, then this can lead to more consistency throughout.
With just nine games left it is now or never, as Dallas tries to scrap its way into the playoffs.
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