American professional basketball player for the Dallas Wings, known for her scoring ability, NCAA championship performances, and WNBA All-Star success.
Arike Ogunbowale was born in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and attended Divine Savior Holy Angels High School. Before focusing exclusively on basketball, she was also a successful soccer player and helped her school win multiple state championships. As a basketball player, she emerged as one of the top prospects in the country, earning Wisconsin Miss Basketball honors in 2015 and selection to the McDonald's All-American Game.
She joined the University of Notre Dame in 2015 and contributed immediately as a freshman. Her role expanded significantly during her sophomore season, when she became a full-time starter and one of the team's primary scoring options. By her junior year, Ogunbowale had developed into one of the nation's premier guards.
The defining moment of her collegiate career came during the 2018 NCAA Tournament. She led Notre Dame to the national championship and hit game-winning baskets in consecutive Final Four games—first against Connecticut in the semifinal and then against Mississippi State in the championship game. Notre Dame secured the national title, and Ogunbowale was named NCAA Tournament Most Outstanding Player. She also received ACC Female Athlete of the Year honors in 2018.
As a senior in 2018–19, Ogunbowale helped Notre Dame return to the national championship game. She averaged 21.8 points per game during her final collegiate season and finished her Notre Dame career with 17.6 points per game across 149 appearances.
Ogunbowale entered the 2019 WNBA Draft and was selected fifth overall by the Dallas Wings. She made an immediate impact, averaging 19.1 points per game as a rookie and earning WNBA All-Rookie Team honors. During her first season, she ranked among the league leaders in scoring and established herself as Dallas' primary offensive option.
In 2020, she won the WNBA scoring title after averaging 22.8 points per game. The achievement earned her All-WNBA First Team recognition and firmly established her among the league's elite guards. She continued to perform at a high level in subsequent seasons, earning WNBA All-Star selections and All-WNBA honors while leading Dallas offensively.
In 2021, Ogunbowale was named WNBA All-Star Game MVP after scoring 26 points in Team WNBA's victory over Team USA. She repeated the accomplishment in 2024, setting a WNBA All-Star Game record with 34 points and six assists, again earning MVP honors.
From 2023 through 2025, she remained one of the league's most productive guards. In 2024, she averaged 22.2 points, 5.1 assists, and 4.6 rebounds while leading the WNBA in steals and free-throw percentage. Her career-high performances include 41 points against Seattle in 2023, 14 assists against New York in 2025, and a 40-point performance against Phoenix in 2024.
Alongside her WNBA career, Ogunbowale played internationally for OGM Ormanspor in Turkey and Dynamo Kursk in Russia. She later joined the Unrivaled 3-on-3 basketball league, playing for Vinyl BC before being selected by Mist BC for the 2026 season. She was also part of the Mist BC team that won the 2026 Unrivaled championship.
Ogunbowale represented the United States in several major competitions. She won gold medals at the 2013 FIBA Americas Under-16 Championship, the 2014 FIBA Under-17 World Cup, the 2014 Youth Olympic Games, and the 2019 FIBA AmeriCup. She also earned a silver medal at the 2015 FIBA 3x3 Under-18 World Cup.
As of the 2026 season, Ogunbowale remains one of the longest-tenured members of the Dallas Wings and one of the WNBA's most accomplished scoring guards.
Arike Ogunbowale plays primarily as a point guard and shooting guard. Her game is centered on shot creation, perimeter scoring, and offensive leadership. She is known for her ability to generate offense off the dribble, score from three-point range, and perform in late-game situations. In addition to scoring, she contributes as a playmaker, ball-handler, and perimeter defender. Her combination of volume scoring, durability, and experience has made her a central figure in the Dallas Wings' backcourt.
Arike Ogunbowale was born in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, to Yolanda Block Ogunbowale and Gregory Ogunbowale. She comes from a family with a strong athletic background. Her mother played collegiate softball at DePaul University, while her brother Dare Ogunbowale has played professional football in the National Football League. She is also related to professional basketball player Diamond Stone.
Ogunbowale is of Nigerian heritage and Yoruba descent. Her first name, "Arike," has a Yoruba meaning associated with being cherished and treasured. During her youth, she excelled in both basketball and soccer before ultimately focusing on basketball.
Outside of sports, Ogunbowale participated in the 2018 season of Dancing with the Stars: Athletes. In May 2024, she announced her engagement to Lala Ronay, and the couple married in February 2026.
Arike Ogunbowale's legacy is largely defined by her performances in high-pressure situations and her consistent scoring production. Her back-to-back game-winning baskets during Notre Dame's 2018 NCAA championship run remain among the most notable moments in modern women's college basketball.
Professionally, she became one of the leading scorers of her generation, winning a WNBA scoring title and earning multiple All-Star and All-WNBA selections. Her long-term role with the Dallas Wings has made her one of the franchise's most recognizable players.
Her achievements also extend internationally, where she contributed to multiple United States gold-medal teams. Combined with her success in collegiate basketball, professional basketball, and international competition, Ogunbowale has built a career marked by sustained offensive production and significant contributions to winning teams.
Ogunbowale has received numerous honors throughout her basketball career. In the WNBA, she is a four-time All-Star, a two-time WNBA All-Star Game MVP (2021 and 2024), a WNBA scoring champion (2020), a WNBA steals leader (2024), and a member of the All-WNBA First Team and multiple All-WNBA Second Teams. She was also selected to the WNBA All-Rookie Team in 2019.
At Notre Dame, she won the 2018 NCAA Championship and was named NCAA Tournament Most Outstanding Player. She earned ACC Female Athlete of the Year honors, was a two-time First-Team All-ACC selection, a First-Team USBWA All-American, and a multiple-time AP and WBCA All-American.
At the high school level, Ogunbowale was named Wisconsin Miss Basketball in 2015 and earned McDonald's All-American recognition.
Internationally, she won gold medals with the United States at the FIBA Americas Under-16 Championship, FIBA Under-17 World Cup, Youth Olympic Games, and FIBA AmeriCup, while also earning a silver medal at the FIBA 3x3 Under-18 World Cup.
Arike Ogunbowale is an American professional basketball player who competes as a guard for the Dallas Wings in the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA). Born on March 2, 1997, in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, she developed into one of the league's most productive scorers after a distinguished collegiate career at the University of Notre Dame. Ogunbowale gained national recognition during Notre Dame's 2018 NCAA championship run, where she hit game-winning shots in both the national semifinal against Connecticut and the championship game against Mississippi State. She was subsequently named the NCAA Tournament Most Outstanding Player.
Selected fifth overall by the Dallas Wings in the 2019 WNBA Draft, Ogunbowale quickly became one of the league's leading offensive players. She was named to the WNBA All-Rookie Team in her debut season after averaging 19.1 points per game and has remained one of the league's top scorers throughout her professional career. She won the WNBA scoring title in 2020 and has earned multiple WNBA All-Star selections, along with All-WNBA honors.
In addition to her WNBA career, Ogunbowale has played internationally in Turkey and Russia and has participated in Unrivaled, the professional 3-on-3 basketball league. Internationally, she has represented the United States at youth and senior levels, winning multiple gold medals, including the 2019 FIBA AmeriCup.
Known primarily for her perimeter scoring, shot creation, and late-game performances, Ogunbowale has established herself as one of the most recognizable guards in women's basketball while spending her entire WNBA career with the Dallas Wings.
