Arike Ogunbowale Shares Veteran Perspective On Staying Aggressive Defensively For Dallas Wings

The Dallas Wings finished last in the 2025 season despite adding a generational talent to the roster in Paige Bueckers. While Arike Ogunbowale struggled to replicate her career-best performances last season, she is once again pumped up to win it all for the side he represented from the start.

GM Curt Miller also kept faith in her loyalty. He even said that the Wings’ rotation is built around Paige Bueckers, Ogunbowale, and Azzi Fudd. While the 29-year-old star remained the only veteran presence in the core, she has a strong message for the side.

Arike Ogunbowale Highlights the Importance Of Defensive Pressure

While the team won the opening game with a 107-104 scoreline, their high offensive lineup failed to put up similar offense against the Dream team, losing the home opener 77-72.

In the post-game interview with ‘The Podium Finish’, the player reflected on continuity in the game with ups and downs on the shooting nights. Ogunbowale said, “It’s so early, we definitely got a lot of good shots, we couldn’t knock them down today. But with the people we have, I can’t see that happening too many times, but if it happens, we have to be ready to guard, like that’s our biggest message.”

"We can't score 100 every game… we have to stop the other team." 🏀

Arike Ogunbowale (@Arike_O) of the @DallasWings shares her veteran perspective on staying aggressive and locking in defensively when the shots aren’t falling.#WNBA x @ThePodiumFinish pic.twitter.com/EFCjUwX3Nh

— Rob Tiongson (@RobTiongson) May 13, 2026

“We can’t score 100 every game… we have to stop the other team,” the guard added.

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While the poor performance in the 2025 season and a top draft pick prospect in hand, many doubted Ogunbowale’s future at the Wings’ franchise. But the player not only retained her position as the team’s starter but is now once again the top scorer for the side.

Arike Ogunbowale Staying Strong On Offensive End

Even though the veteran guard spoke highly of the defensive play on the night, she is aggressive on the offensive end and has proved her critics wrong with recent performances.
In the opening game, she scored 22 points on 8-of-15 shooting, while in the low-scoring game against the Dream, she once again reached 20 points on 7-of-15 shooting.

“Everybody can eat,” Ogunbowale said in a recent interview “We have some pretty dynamic guards. When we move the ball around and share it, it’s pretty, but I think in this system, you can drive, you can shoot. There’s just a lot of good looks to be had.”

Arike Ogunbowale vs Atlanta Dream:

20 POINTS
4 REBOUNDS
1 ASSIST
1 STEAL
6-7 FT
7-15 FG

Led the Dallas Wings in points👏🏾 #WNBA https://t.co/zthCehZ51U pic.twitter.com/JvSldj7FzC

— HERLOSPORT (@herlosport) May 13, 2026

With strong additions to the roster in the offseason, the bottom-placed Wings not only entered the top five sides in the league but also maintained a balance of experience on both ends.