Arike Ogunbowale Bio
Arike Ogunbowale is an American professional basketball player for the Dallas Wings of the Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA) and for the Mist of Unrivaled. She played college basketball for the Notre Dame Fighting Irish, before being drafted by the Wings with the fifth overall pick of the 2019 WNBA draft. She was the Most Outstanding Player of Notre Dame’s 2018 national title run, hitting game-winning baskets in both the semi-final and championship game. A two-time WNBA All-Star Game Most Valuable Player, Ogunbowale has built a reputation as one of the league’s most dynamic guards and consistent scorers.
Early Life and Background
Arike Ogunbowale was born on March 2, 1997, in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA. She is the youngest of three children born to Yolanda Block Ogunbowale and Nigerian expat Gregory Ogunbowale. She is of Yoruba descent, and her given name means “a child you treasure, cherish, pamper and love” in the Yoruba language. Her father served in the Nigerian military, while her mother Yolanda played softball at DePaul University. Her older brother, Dare, played football at the University of Wisconsin and is a professional football player in the NFL. Ogunbowale is also a cousin of basketball player Diamond Stone.
From 2009 to 2012, Ogunbowale was part of four Division One Wisconsin State High School Champions soccer teams, showing her athletic versatility from a young age. Ogunbowale came out of the eighth grade at Our Redeemer Lutheran School in Wauwatosa, Wisconsin, and in her last year there she helped the girls’ team win the national championship at the 2011 Tournament of Champions sponsored by the Lutheran Basketball Association of America, earning tournament MVP honors. In high school, she also played as a soccer forward but eventually decided to focus on basketball after coming to enjoy the sport more.
Path to Basketball
Ogunbowale went on to play high school basketball at Divine Savior Holy Angels High School (DSHA) in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, a school long known for its multiple national and state titles in numerous sports. In the 2014–2015 season, the team won the Wisconsin Interscholastic Athletic Association Division I title, with Ogunbowale averaging 27.2 points per game. She scored 55 points in a semi-final game against an undefeated team, announcing herself as one of the country’s top prospects. She was ranked ninth in the world, named 2015 Wisconsin Miss Basketball, and was a McDonald’s High School All-America selection. Ogunbowale returned to DSHA on December 30, 2021, to be inducted into the school’s Hall of Fame.
Her success at DSHA led to a scholarship at Notre Dame, where she developed into one of the most celebrated players in college basketball. Ogunbowale averaged 11.4 points per game in her freshman season at Notre Dame as a reserve player, and became a regular starter the next year. In her junior season, she helped the Fighting Irish win the 2018 NCAA Division I women’s basketball tournament, making game-winning baskets in the semifinal against UConn and in the final against Mississippi State. The Atlantic Coast Conference named her its female Athlete of the Year across all sports, sharing honors with men’s winner Lamar Jackson of Louisville football.
Arike Ogunbowale Career
Early Career (2019)
Ogunbowale entered the WNBA league in 2019 when she was the fifth overall pick in the 2019 WNBA draft by the Dallas Wings. During her rookie season, she was third in the league in scoring, averaging 19.1 points per game. She scored 20 or more points in 13 of her final 14 games, including the final 11 of the season, finishing strong and announcing her arrival as one of the league’s premier offensive players. After the season, Ogunbowale was named to the WNBA All-Rookie Team.
WNBA Breakthrough (2019–2022)
Ogunbowale was selected as the WNBA 2021 All-Star Game Most Valuable Player with 26 points in the team’s win over Team USA on July 14, 2021. In 2020, she earned the WNBA scoring title, cementing her status as one of the league’s elite guards. While playing with the Wings early on, she spent winters playing overseas in Turkey and then Russia, broadening her professional experience.
Near the end of the 2022 regular season, she suffered an oblique injury and stayed home for the offseason instead of playing overseas, accepting a player marketing agreement from the WNBA. She took a two-month break to recover, returning in time to continue her rise as a WNBA star. She also coached at the 2022 NBA Academy Women’s Camp during an offseason trip to Saly, Senegal, and played in the NBA Celebrity All-Star Game in Utah.
Dallas Wings Era (2019–Present)
In May 2023, Ogunbowale was named the WNBA’s Western Conference Player of the Month after averaging a league-high 26.7 points in the first week of the season, giving Dallas its first 2–0 season start since 2007. Over four games in May, she ranked third in scoring in the WNBA, and in a game where she scored 21 points against Minnesota, she became the 11th player in league history to score over 20 points in the first four games of the season. In May 2023, after a win over the Atlanta Dream, the Dallas Morning News called her the “cornerstone” of the team. She led the Dallas Wings to a win over the Mercury in front of a sellout crowd in June 2023, scoring a season-high 35 points in a 90–77 victory, sinking 12 of 21 shots with five assists.
On July 20, 2024, Ogunbowale was named the WNBA All-Star Game MVP after scoring 34 points with 6 assists, all in the second half, setting a WNBA All-Star Game record. This marked her second All-Star MVP title, having also won in 2021, with both awards coming in matchups against Team USA Olympic squads. Stats are current through the end of the 2025 season.
Driving Style and Strengths
Ogunbowale is known for her elite scoring ability, especially in late-game situations, as evidenced by her back-to-back game-winning baskets in the 2018 NCAA tournament. She combines deep shooting range with quick first-step drives, making her a difficult cover for opposing guards. Her offensive consistency, including multiple 30-plus point performances, has made her the focal point of the Dallas Wings’ attack.
Notable Events and Milestones
Ogunbowale’s game-winning shots in the 2018 NCAA Final Four remain among the most iconic moments in women’s college basketball. She set the WNBA All-Star Game scoring record with 34 points in 2024, and her 2019–2020 scoring surge established her as the WNBA’s leading offensive talent. She has earned four WNBA All-Star selections and a scoring title within her first five professional seasons.
Arike Ogunbowale Career Wins
Arike Ogunbowale has compiled an impressive list of accomplishments across college, professional, and exhibition play. Her most celebrated victories include the 2018 NCAA championship with Notre Dame, a WNBA scoring title in 2020, and two WNBA All-Star Game MVP awards in 2021 and 2024.
WNBA Highlights
Ogunbowale has been selected as a WNBA All-Star four times, in 2021, 2022, 2023, and 2024, and has been named WNBA All-Star Game MVP twice. She won the WNBA scoring title in 2020, cementing her status as the league’s premier offensive talent. In her rookie 2019 season, she was third in the league in scoring and was named to the All-Rookie Team. In 2023, she was named WNBA Western Conference Player of the Month in May.
Other Wins & Performances
In high school, Ogunbowale helped Divine Savior Holy Angels win the Wisconsin Interscholastic Athletic Association Division I title in 2014–2015. At Notre Dame, she was a key part of the 2018 NCAA championship run and was named the tournament’s Most Outstanding Player. On July 12, 2024, it was announced that Ogunbowale would appear and play in the inaugural season of Unrivaled, a new women’s 3-on-3 basketball league founded by Napheesa Collier and Breanna Stewart.
Arike Ogunbowale Family
Family Background and Racing Lineage
Arike Ogunbowale comes from a deeply athletic family. Her mother, Yolanda Block Ogunbowale, played softball at DePaul University, while her father, Gregory Ogunbowale, is a Nigerian expat who served in the Nigerian military. Her older brother, Dare, played football at the University of Wisconsin and is a professional football player in the NFL. She is also a cousin of basketball player Diamond Stone.
Personal Life
In April 2018, Ogunbowale was announced as one of the celebrities who would compete on season 26 of Dancing with the Stars, partnered with professional dancer Gleb Savchenko. The pair was eliminated from the competition on May 7, 2018, placing seventh. On May 19, 2024, Ogunbowale announced her engagement to Lala Ronay.
2025 Season Performance
In the 2025 WNBA season, Ogunbowale continued her role as the centerpiece of the Dallas Wings, building on her 2023 and 2024 momentum. She remained one of the league’s most consistent scorers, providing the offensive engine for a young Wings roster aiming to climb the Western Conference standings. Her leadership on the court and veteran experience continued to shape Dallas’s identity as a competitive franchise.
Ogunbowale also participated in the 2025 Unrivaled season, playing for Vinyl BC during the league’s second year. In the 1v1 tournament of Unrivaled, she finished as a semi-finalist, losing to eventual runner-up Aaliyah Edwards, further demonstrating her competitive drive beyond traditional team play. Looking ahead, on November 5, 2025, it was announced that Ogunbowale had been drafted by Mist BC for the 2026 Unrivaled season.