Dallas Wings’ star player Arike Ogunbowale was arrested in Miami on Thursday and charged with misdemeanor battery, as revealed by jail records from Miami-Dade County. The incident occurred at the E11EVEN MIAMI nightclub, where Ogunbowale allegedly punched a man in the face, leading him to fall to the ground. After her arrest, she was released on a $1,000 bond.
The Dallas Wings acknowledged the situation, stating, “The Wings are aware of an incident involving Arike Ogunbowale and are in the process of gathering more information. Further comments will be provided once we have more details.”
Ogunbowale’s trip to Miami coincided with her participation in Unrivaled, a professional 3-on-3 women’s basketball league founded by WNBA stars Napheesa Collier and Breanna Stewart. Displaying her talent, Ogunbowale contributed 19 points to help her team, Mist, secure an 80-74 victory over Phantom in the league’s championship game.
Having spent her entire seven-year WNBA career with the Wings, Ogunbowale has become a key figure in the league, averaging 19.9 points and 4.0 assists per game. She is a four-time All-Star and has earned the All-Star Game MVP award twice. The Wings drafted Ogunbowale fifth overall in the 2019 WNBA draft after a successful collegiate career at Notre Dame.
As the organization navigates this incident, the hope remains that Ogunbowale can move past this issue and continue to shine on and off the court, reinforcing her status as one of the prominent players in women’s basketball.