Last Updated on July 28, 2026 by Mat Diekhake

Arike Ogunbowale is one of the WNBA’s most fearless offensive weapons, thriving in high-pressure moments with her shot-making, creativity, and confidence to take the biggest attempts. Whether she’s carrying the scoring load or delivering another clutch performance, her explosive style has made her one of the league’s most entertaining and dangerous guards.

Here’s the detailed information on Arike Ogunbowale:

Player Profile

  • Full Name: Arike Ogunbowale
  • Nationality: American
  • Age: Born on March 2, 1997
  • Hometown: Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA
  • Height: 5 ft 8 in (1.73 m)
  • Weight: 165 lbs (75 kg)
  • Wingspan: 5 ft 9 in
  • Shoe Size: Size 9 US (women’s)
  • Jersey Number: #24
  • Position: Shooting Guard
  • High School: Divine Savior Holy Angels High School (Milwaukee, Wisconsin)
  • College: University of Notre Dame (2015–2019)
  • WNBA Draft: 2019, 1st round (5th overall pick) by the Dallas Wings
  • Teams Played For:
  • Dallas Wings (2019–present)
  • Accolades:
    • Championship Rings: None as of 2024
    • Other Achievements:
      • NCAA Tournament Most Outstanding Player (2018)
      • Multiple-time WNBA All-Star
      • 2021 WNBA All-Star Game MVP
      • Notable for hitting two game-winning shots in the 2018 NCAA Final Four, leading Notre Dame to a national championship
  • Kids: None reported
  • Siblings: Arike has two older brothers:
    • Dare Ogunbowale: NFL running back
    • Mario Ogunbowale: Former college football player

Player Archetype / Play Style

Arike Ogunbowale’s player archetype is a high-volume shot-creating guard, the kind of offensive engine who can take over possessions from anywhere on the floor while still bringing enough quickness and anticipation to be disruptive defensively. In her defensive role, she works mainly as a competitive backcourt defender who pressures handlers, jumps passing lanes, and uses active hands rather than size to create turnovers. Offensively, she is a primary scorer first and foremost, thriving as a pull-up shooter, deep-range threat, mid-range creator, and downhill attacker who can manufacture points late in the clock and carry a major usage load. At 5-foot-8 and 165 pounds, Ogunbowale is built more on compact strength, burst, balance, and body control than pure size, which fits a game based on separation, touch, and self-created offense. Her play style summary is that of an aggressive, fearless scoring guard whose rhythm shooting, improvisation, and shot-making flair make her one of the WNBA’s most dangerous perimeter creators. (wnba.com)

Scouting Report

I’ve always thought Arike Ogunbowale is at her most dangerous when possessions look like they’re drifting toward nothing. She has a rare ability to manufacture separation with compact footwork rather than overwhelming speed, rocking defenders to sleep before exploding into a step-back or crossing back into the lane once their weight shifts. That’s what makes her such a difficult cover in empty-side actions and late-clock pick-and-rolls. She doesn’t need much daylight, and she’s comfortable taking shots that many coaches would classify as low percentage because she’s spent her career proving she can convert them often enough to justify the attempt. The trade-off is obvious: that aggressive shot diet can flatten an offence if the defence succeeds in forcing her into consecutive contested pull-ups instead of paint touches or kick-outs. What often gets overlooked, though, is that she’s a more willing passer than she’s given credit for when help arrives on time. She’ll thread bounce passes to rolling bigs before the weak-side tag recovers or skip the ball to shooters after drawing two defenders, but she’s looking to collapse the defence first rather than orchestrate every possession. Defensively, her best work comes on the ball. She competes over screens, disrupts dribbles with quick hands and can turn handlers multiple times before they reach their spots, although larger guards who initiate contact early can move her off her preferred defensive angles. To me, the ideal roster around her includes secondary creators who keep the ball moving without taking away her freedom to attack late in possessions, plus screeners who create real contact and punish switches with hard dives or post seals. There are shades of Allen Iverson in the fearless shot-making mentality and willingness to carry difficult offensive possessions, while the rhythm and balance she plays with from the perimeter occasionally recalls Kelsey Mitchell, though Ogunbowale is more inclined to dictate the game through isolation and high pick-and-roll creation than constant off-ball movement.

Sources:

WNBA — Arike Ogunbowale Stats, Height, Weight, Position, Draft Status and More
WNBA — Changing of the Guard
Golden State Valkyries — Game Preview: Valkyries at Wings (Commissioner’s Cup)
WNBA — 2025 WNBA.com GM Survey: 40 Questions ahead of new season