Wings dominate Dream in home opener behind Cambage, Diggins

The Dallas Wings (1-1) secured their first win, a 101-78 victory against Atlanta, in the team’s home opener on Sunday.

Fans were greeted with free t-shirts bearing the team’s ‘Rise Together’ (#RiseTogether) moniker ahead of tip-off. Cowboys running back Rod Smith and linebacker Jaylon Smith were both in attendance for Sunday’s contest.

Dallas Cowboys brothers Jaylon and Rod Smith at the Dallas Wings Home Opener!! pic.twitter.com/H9XrqoGpxY

— Dallas Sports Fanatic (@Dallas_Fanatic) May 20, 2018

Dallas trailed by as many as seven points in the first quarter before head coach Fred Williams called a timeout and told his team to relax.

“Don’t go to the game, let the game come to you,” said Williams of his mid-game advice. “The thing I’ve learned about our team so far is [opponents] build a lead but we’ll fight back to get ourselves back in the game. So I just said ‘relax and take what they give you.'”

After one quarter of even play the Wings outscored the Dream by 22 points, taking a 59-37 lead to halftime, an advantage from which Atlanta never recovered.

“I thought we had good balanced scoring tonight,” Williams said. “Liz [Cambage] set the tone in the first half with her inside play and really displayed how she can put [the basketball] on the floor and get to the rim.

“Skylar did a great job around the perimeter and shooting the basketball and breaking down the defense by some floating jumpers. Defensively, we just stepped up our game a little bit, especially in the second half.”

Wings guard Skylar Diggins-Smith led the way with 25 points, 5 rebounds and 2 assists while center Liz Cambage continues to grow more acclimated in her role with the team.

Cambage totaled 21 points and 9 rebounds but her defensive presence proved to be the ultimate deciding factor. The 6-foot-8 center recorded her first of 4 blocks on Atlanta’s first possession of the game.

Liz Cambage with a pair of tone-setting blocks to open the second half as Dallas leads 60-37. #WNBA #WNBAallday #WNBAinsider

— Mike DuPont II (@MikeDuPont_) May 20, 2018

 

Wings forward Glory Johnson did not play but Williams did establish a timeline for her return and plans to rotate Kayla Thornton, Azurá Stevens and Kaela Davis in Johnson’s absence.

“We’re going to see by the end of next week but right now I think you’re looking at a couple of weeks away,” Williams said.

Dallas begins a three-game road trip at 7 p.m. Wednesday against the Minnesota Lynx (0-1).