ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — Paige Bueckers scored 20 of her 26 points in the first half, Arike Ogunbowale had 22 points and six assists, and the Dallas Wings beat the Phoenix Mercury 87-82 on Saturday for their sixth straight victory.
Ogunbowale was fouled on a driving layup with 1:19 remaining and she completed the three-point play to extend the lead to 86-81.
Aziaha James made a key steal down the stretch and Bueckers was fouled with 9.7 seconds left before making 1 of 2 free throws to cap the scoring.
Dallas (26-16) passed New York and Washington for sixth place in the WNBA standings.
Awak Kuier added 11 points for Dallas and Jessica Shepard had 10 points, six rebounds and five assists. Bueckers reached the 20-point mark for the 24th time — the fourth-most in the WNBA this season.
Alyssa Thomas recorded her 23th career triple-double — and fourth of the season — with 19 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists for Phoenix (15-27). Lexi Held scored 21 points and made four 3-pointers, and Natasha Mack added 16 points.
Bueckers banked in a 3-pointer while being fouled with 0.5 seconds left in the first half to give Dallas a 56-49 lead. She missed the free throw to finish the half with 20 points on 8-of-12 shooting. She was 4 of 5 from 3-point range in the first 20 minutes before finishing 5 of 9.
The teams play each other again on Monday in Phoenix.
AP WNBA: https://apnews.com/hub/wnba-basketball
Dallas Wings forward Jessica Shepard (32) dribbles against Phoenix Mercury guard Sami Whitcomb (33) during the first half of a WNBA basketball game in Arlington, Texas, Saturday, Sept. 19, 2026. (AP Photo/LM Otero)
Dallas Wings guard Arike Ogunbowale (24) shoots against Phoenix Mercury forwards Noemie Brochant (1) and Valeriane Ayayi (11) during the first half of a WNBA basketball game in Arlington, Texas, Saturday, Sept. 19, 2026. (AP Photo/LM Otero)
Dallas Wings guard Paige Bueckers (5) comes up with ball against Phoenix Mercury guard Kara Dunn (12) during the first half of a WNBA basketball game in Arlington, Texas, Saturday, Sept. 19, 2026. (AP Photo/LM Otero)
DEARBORN, Mich. (AP) — The city of Dearborn responded Saturday to a lawsuit accusing it of celebrating Muslim holidays and ignoring religious holidays of other faiths by blaming attacks against it on its diversity and “welcoming nature.”
A statement from the Detroit suburb issued by a spokesperson came in response to a lawsuit on Thursday that accused the city and its mayor of spending thousands of dollars to celebrate Muslim holidays while ignoring Christian and Jewish holidays.
The lawsuit in federal court revived complaints about city government that arose a year ago after the Dearborn mayor, Abdullah Hammoud, told Ted Barham, a local pastor, that he was not welcome in the city and he would stage a parade when he left.
The lawsuit by Margot Cleveland, a journalist for The Federalist, accused the city and its mayor, a Democrat, of favoring the Muslim faith over other religious beliefs in a city with a population of over 100,000 people that is majority Arab American.
It said the city for too long “has been a hostile place for Christians and Jews.”
And it added that “Hammoud has taken this hostility to the next level, openly conveying the message that Christians and Jews are not welcome in the city and are, indeed, second-class citizens.”
In its statement Saturday, the city responded by saying it "has a longstanding commitment to serving all residents fairly and equitably, regardless of faith or background.
“Our city has increasingly come under attack precisely because of its welcoming nature and the diversity of the people who proudly call Dearborn home,” the statement said.
It added: "That will not change who we are. Dearborn will continue to uphold the rights and dignity of every resident and remain a city where everyone is treated with fairness, respect, and equal protection under the law.”
The lawsuit sought unspecified damages and asked a judge to find that the city had violated the Constitution and order it to comply with the First Amendment and the Fourteenth Amendment.
According to the lawsuit, the city of Dearborn last year spent $1,500 of public money on Ramadan banners and $5,000 on a crescent-moon symbol displayed in its Peace Park while its police department sold Ramadan-themed shirts bearing the official department emblem.
Yet, the lawsuit said, the city failed to mark the approach of the Christian holiday of Easter and the Jewish holiday of Passover in similar fashion.
When Cleveland complained and asked that other religious holidays be honored, she was repeatedly ignored, the lawsuit said.
The lawsuit noted the September 2025 clash at a City Council meeting between Hammoud and Barham, saying the mayor spoke against the pastor after Barham criticized the city for naming a street after Osama Siblani, who it said had supported organizations designated as terrorist by the U.S. government.
Barham said it was “quite inappropriate” and that it would be like naming a street “Hezbollah Street or Hamas Street.”
Media reports about the City Council clash led to a November rally in Dearborn that attracted conservative influencers.
Hammoud told The Guardian for an article published in November: “People misconstrue my words and my frustration with an individual who is a bad faith actor in our community, and apply it to a whole faith, when everyone knows the city of Dearborn is a place where everyone is welcome — Christian or Jew or whatever your background.”
FILE - Rep. Abdullah Hammoud, D-Dearborn, speaks during a campaign rally in Dearborn, Mich., on March 7, 2020. (AP Photo/Paul Sancya, File)
