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Teaira McCowan making 'huge' impact in multiple ways for Dallas Wings – Bally Sports
Dallas Wings center Teaira McCowan, center, is defended by Washington Mystics’ Cyesha Goree, left, and Tianna Hawkins (21) during the first half of a WNBA basketball game Friday, July 28, 2023, in Arlington, Texas. (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez)
Only two WNBA teams have beaten the defending champion Las Vegas Aces this season.
One of those teams is the Dallas Wings, whose memorable July was boosted by center Teaira McCowan.
“Her impact is huge,” Wings guard Veronica Burton said of McCowan. “She just does everything that we need her to do on a consistent basis. And even if she thinks she may not be having her best night, she’s impacting the game so much. Whether that be just her defensive presence or her rebounding or just even her offensive presence, even if we’re not necessarily getting the ball on that one play.
“Everyone has to be aware of where T is on the floor. Just because she’s such a threat on both sides of the basketball.”
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McCowan, 26, spent most of June playing for the Turkish national team at EuroBasket. Since returning to Dallas, she has notched six double-doubles. In games in which she hasn’t scored as much, she has contributed defensively with blocks and steals.
The 6-foot-7 center is tied for the team lead in blocks with Natasha Howard at 1.2 per game, which ranks 11th in the league. McCowan also is averaging a career-best 12.9 points per game in her second season with the Wings, who acquired the 2019 No. 3 overall pick from the Indiana Fever before the 2022 season.
This year, Dallas brought in a new coach in the defensive-minded Latricia Trammell and added Howard to the frontcourt. All-Star forward Satou Sabally is healthy, and she’s playing her best basketball since joining the WNBA with a career-high 17.6 scoring average.
With so much talent around her, McCowan is flourishing on the court.
“I know the type of player I am,” she said. “I’m a hard player to guard. I hear that night in, night out. And also just being in the paint and just taking up space and just knowing that just me being on the court affects the other team, you know, on offense. And on defense.
“I mean, it’s a win-win situation for me. So as long as I just go in there and do what I’m supposed to do, my confidence will remain high.”
Trammell said McCowan’s self-assuredness is apparent in her play.
“(She’s) playing with a lot of confidence inside the paint defensively, as she’s moving better around the point of attack and around the perimeter, because a lot of teams that we play have more five-out, position-less basketball at times,” Trammell said. “She’s got great confidence in getting up and defending that, that she hasn’t had in the past. Teammates are building her up. She’s in a good headspace, and her body feels good.”
The Wings went 7-3 in July to improve to 14-11 and are fourth in the WNBA standings. They hope to finish in the top four so they can host games in the first round of the playoffs.
“We’re going to be one of the top teams,” McCowan said. “We’re on the right track right now. So I think the end for us is limitless. I think we can go all the way. It’s just a matter of us having attention to detail to the little things.”
ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — Satou Sabally scored 28 points and had five steals, Arike Ogunbowale scored 23 points and the Dallas Wings beat the Connecticut Sun 91-81 on Saturday night to snap a three-game skid.
Crystal Dangerfield added 16 points on 6-of-12 shooting for the Wings (16-14).
Sabally made 8
ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — A'ja Wilson scored 28 points and grabbed 14 rebounds, Kelsey Plum added 20 points and the Las Vegas Aces eased past the Dallas Wings 104-84 on Tuesday night.
Las Vegas responded to its lowest-scoring game of the season — a 99-61 loss to New York on
NEW YORK (AP) — A day after multiple players were ejected in a pair of games, the WNBA handed out the punishment to them.
Ruthy Hebard received the only suspension Monday from the league as she will have to sit out one game for leaving the bench area during an
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