The Dallas Wings had their backs against the wall, and Arike Ogunbowale made sure their season would not end there. Facing the Golden State Valkyries in a do-or-die Game 2 after losing the series opener, Dallas needed a big performance to stay alive. Ogunbowale delivered in a way few could have expected, scoring a career-high 45 points to lead the Wings to a 108-100 overtime win.

But while her historic night was the biggest talking point, an incident involving Ogunbowale and Tiffany Hayes late in the game left fans debating whether both players deserved the same punishment.

With less than 2:30 remaining in overtime, the Valkyries trailed by three and had possession. Gabby Williams soon tied the game with a three-pointer, but as the shot went up, Hayes, who was being guarded by Ogunbowale, moved toward the basket to chase the rebound.

Instead of going around Ogunbowale, Hayes made contact with the Wings guard and sent her to the floor. Ogunbowale got back up visibly frustrated and shoved Hayes in response.

The officials initially assessed Hayes with a Flagrant 1. After reviewing what happened, Ogunbowale was also given a Flagrant 1 for the shove.

That decision quickly became a talking point among fans, with some arguing that Hayes’ initial contact warranted a more serious punishment while others focused on Ogunbowale’s response.

“Hayes always getting into some shit when the game on the line,” a fan wrote under a post shared by B/R W Sports on Instagram.

Another fan focused on Hayes’ reaction after Ogunbowale shoved her as they wrote, “That flop was wild 😂.”

Ogunbowale receiving a Flagrant 1 also meant she had picked up her second such call of the season. But the call did little to overshadow what she had done for Dallas throughout the game.

Arike Ogunbowale kept the Wings alive when they needed her most

After scoring only 10 points in Game 1, Ogunbowale came out with a completely different level of aggression in the elimination game. She kept Dallas within reach throughout the night before taking over when the season was on the line.

The Wings trailed 93-90 with only 14.6 seconds remaining in regulation when Ogunbowale took matters into her own hands. She knocked down a three-pointer to tie the game and send it into overtime. Then she kept going.

Ogunbowale scored 45 points in 42 minutes, setting a WNBA playoff record for points in a postseason game. She also finished with seven rebounds, four assists and three steals while shooting 12-of-23 from the field, 5-of-8 from three-point range and 16-of-18 from the free-throw line.

Paige Bueckers, who finished with 10 points and four rebounds, could only watch as her teammate carried Dallas through the biggest moments of the game.

“Man, I can’t even put into words what she just did. I’m on the court in awe,” Bueckers said, per USA Today. “I’m just like, ‘Let me get her the ball and get out the way.’ I got flashbacks from the Final Four when I was in high school when she hit two game winners at Notre Dame. I got a terrible flashback to Unrivaled when she hit the game winner in the same spot in the same corner to beat our team, the Breeze. So an honor to be on the floor with her tonight. She really carried us.”

For some fans, though, Ogunbowale’s historic performance did not settle the debate surrounding the late-game incident. The fact that both Hayes and Ogunbowale received Flagrant 1 calls left some questioning whether the two actions should have been treated the same way.

“How is the neck choke not a flagrant 2?” one fan wrote.

Another brought up an incident involving A’ja Wilson during Game 2 of the first-round series between the Las Vegas Aces and Indiana Fever.

“We don’t trust the refs and the rules because WNBA has not announced that A’ja is suspended ⚠️⚠️⚠️⚠️⚠️⚠️,” the fan wrote.

The comparison came after Wilson was involved in a confrontation with a Fever fan during a stoppage in play. Wilson approached the fan after he reportedly pointed toward her, and the two exchanged words. The Aces star was assessed a technical foul but remained in the game.

That incident also led to debate among fans over the WNBA’s rules regarding players entering the stands, particularly the provision concerning players who “deliberately enter the stands other than as a continuance of play.”

For Dallas, however, the focus now shifts back to the court. Ogunbowale’s performance gave the Wings another opportunity after they had been one loss away from elimination, but the job is far from finished.

The Wings and Valkyries will meet again in less than 48 hours for the decisive Game 3, with the loser of the series heading home.

And amid all the debate surrounding the officials, Hayes and Ogunbowale, one fan summed up the intensity of the playoff matchup, stating, “Nothing to see here. Just playoff basketball.”

The decisive game will be played at Chase Center in San Francisco, where ESPN’s predictors have given the Valkyries a 73.1% chance of winning.