The WNBA offseason revealed aspects of players that many fans were previously unaware of. Angel Reese stole the spotlight with her ramp walk for Victoria’s Secret. Many WNBA players loved Reese’s ramp walk. And now Arike Ogunbowale stunned fans with her coaching side.
The Wings guard coached the Nigerian team in the traditional Battle of Jollof against Ghana. Her side recorded a victory. While it was a great sight for the veteran guard, her celebration was a treat to the fans.
Arike Ogunbowale’s Wild Celebration Goes Viral
Different traditions bind the two countries and cultures. A fun tradition between two African sides, Ghana and Nigeria, is the Battle of Jollof, which celebrates the rivalry between the two nations over who makes the best jollof rice. The event involves different games, including soccer and basketball.
In 2025, Ogunbowale, who coached the Nigerian basketball team. Her star put up all her experience and skills to help the side record a win. During the game, the four-time All-Star was animated on the sidelines and wildly celebrated the win. Her pictures went viral.
Arike Ogunbowale was the winning coach as she led Team Nigeria to the win at the Battle of Jollof basketball competition
— Athlete Vanity (@AthleteVanity) November 11, 2025
Peep Kiki Iriafen 👀😍 pic.twitter.com/UispWYAIdp
While the star led the national side to a rivalry win, her performance in the 2025 season was not very exciting. Despite her backcourt partner, Paige Bueckers’ solid season, the team finished last with just 10 wins. Ogunbowale’s inconsistency was a heavy reason for it.
Scroll to continue reading
Trending WNBA News
Arike Ogunbowale drops an honest one-word reaction to Paige Bueckers’ Rookie Of The Year award and will look for a strong comeback in the 2026 season. But one analyst sees her moving out of the Wings franchise.
Analyst Names Three Teams Who Could Sign Arike Ogunbowale In Offseason
The Wings are looking to build around PB now, and with the strong draft class and top-class free agency market, they might opt out of re-signing Ogunbowale, who spent her whole career with the Texas franchise.
“Ogunbowale has spent the first six years of her career in Dallas, guiding the Wings through continued coaching turnovers and little postseason success. Last year, the franchise appeared to center itself around 2025 No. 1 pick Paige Bueckers, and Ogunbowale had her worst year yet — scoring a career-low 15.5 points per game on 36.4 percent shooting. A new environment could potentially do her wonders, and create more postseason opportunities — she’s appeared in only seven playoff games,” The Athletic wrote.
While there are many teams looking for a talented scoring guard as a starter or even as a backup, the Athletic analyst listed the Chicago Sky, as well as the expansion Toronto Tempo or Portland Fire, as possible destinations in the 2026 season.