There might be no other women's basketball player who loves a buzzer-beater more than 4-time All-Star Arike Ogunbowale. In 2018, during the NCAA Final Four, Ogunbowale hit a jumper with less than 30 seconds left in overtime — securing Notre Dame the victory. In that same year's National Championship, with three seconds left in the game, she drained an off-balance 3-pointer to win the Fighting Irish their first ring in 17 years.
This past offseason, during the Unrivaled semifinals, Ogunbowale's Mist BC were three points from the winning score that would send them to the Finals. Off an assist from Breanna Stewart, Ogunbowale hit her signature fadeaway corner 3-pointer.
Last night, that version of Ogunbowale kicked in and she added another masterful moment to her arsenal. The Dallas Wings faced a must-win Game 2 against the Golden State Valkyries. With about 12 seconds left in regulation, Ogunbowale and the Wings were down by three. So naturally, her teammates got her the ball and stepped out of the way. Ogunbowale drains the corner 3-ball, ultimately sending the game to overtime.
While that moment is getting the most attention, it was only three points and one big shot in a night absolutely full of them for Ogunbowale. She etched her name in the WNBA Playoff history books. Here's where she ranks amongst the highest-scoring performances.
Greatest WNBA postseason performances
1. Arike Ogunbowale, Dallas Wings (45 points, 2026)
The game-tying 3-pointer was flashy and electric, but Ogunbowale started last night's game strong and didn't let up. She finished the night recording 45 points, 7 rebounds, 4 assists and 3 blocks in 42 minutes on the court — putting her at the very top of this list. She shot 52.2 percent from the field and was lights-out from beyond the arc, draining 5-of-8 from the 3-point range. It took anyone in the league 16 years to break the 42-point playoff threshold.
Dallas claimed a 108-100 overtime win. Now, Ogunbowale and the Wings find themselves facing the Valkyries on Friday night in a win-or-go-home Game 3 scenario — will we get another historic performance?
2. Napheesa Collier, Minnesota Lynx (42 points, 2024)
Napheesa Collier kicked off the 2024 playoffs hot. In Game 1 of the first round, against the Phoenix Mercury, she recorded 38 points, 6 rebounds and 4 assists. The hot hand continued in Game 2; Phee recorded 42 points, 5 rebounds and 4 assists — earning her a spot on this list. She shot a whopping 70 percent from the field in Game 2 — the highest of any performance on this list.
Both of those dominant Collier performances led to Minnesota wins; they swept the Merc in the first round. The Lynx went on to defeat the Sun in the semifinals, but fell short of the ring when the New York Liberty went 3-2 in the best-of-five 2024 Finals series.
3. Breanna Stewart, Seattle Storm (42 points, 2022)
Breanna Stewart put the whole Storm squad on her back in what would end up being her final game in a Seattle jersey. That's right, even with a dominant performance, this game ended in a loss. Nonetheless, Stewie was magic this game. She recorded 42 points, 7 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 steal and 3 blocks. She shot 63.6 percent from the field and drained 6-of-8 from beyond the arc.
This performance was put on in Game 4 of the semifinals against the Las Vegas Aces. It was a must-win for the Storm, as they were already down 2-1 in the best-of-five series.
4. Angel McCoughtry, Atlanta Dream (42 points, 2010)
Angel McCoughtry became the first-ever player to record 42 points in the WNBA playoffs during Game 2 of the Eastern Conference Finals against the New York Liberty in 2010. McCoughtry recorded 42 points, 3 rebounds, 4 assists and 5 steals in 36 minutes. She shot 60 percent from the field. This win ultimately sent the Dream to the Finals — unfortunately, they couldn't claim the ring, as the Storm went 3-0 in the best-of-five series.
What's even more impressive about this performance is that it came during McCoughtry's second year in the league and only her first Eastern Conference Finals appearance.
5. Tamika Whitmore, Indiana Fever (41 points, 2006)
Tamika Whitmore was the first WNBA player to score 40 points in a playoff game. But much like Stewie, this dominant performance unfortunately ended in a loss for Whitmore and the Fever. Her historic night came in the first round against the Detroit Shock — the Fever were already down 0-1 in the best-of-three series. Whitmore recorded 41 points, 10 rebounds and 1 steal in 34 minutes. She scored nearly half of Indiana's total points on the night, shooting at 60 percent from the field — and she likely would've drained more if she didn't foul out.
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