Meet the new Arike Ogunbowale: Wings star gets special praise after Aces rout

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The Dallas Wings have the Las Vegas Aces' number.

And head coach Jose Fernandez is crediting Arike Ogunbowale with helping to instill the cultural shift that made possible Monday's 96-66 win over the reigning WNBA champions.

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For the season, the stats tell one story about Ogunbowale.

The former scoring champ is shooting just 34.6 percent from the field -- a career-worst figure -- and she is averaging 15.0 points per game, another career low.

But after consecutive 20-point games, Ogunbowale is understanding her role in Fernandez's system.

Arike Ogunbowale SHOOK Jewell Loyd, then buried the triple 🫣pic.twitter.com/gZ2l4OlNGi

— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) June 16, 2026

It hasn't been easy for Ogunbowale, who has spent her entire eight-year career in Dallas and has played for five head coaches since she entered the league in 2019.

But with Paige Bueckers and Azzi Fudd joining her in the backcourt, Ogunbowale no longer needs to be the savior.

She can relocate to different parts of the floor to find good shots and use her underrated passing ability to maintain the flow of the offense.

It’s been a big growth in Arike, because she’s had to be a high-volume type of guy," Fernandez said after Monday's win. "Well, she doesn’t have to be that on this team.”

Arike Ogunbowale tonight: 22 pts/7 ast/0 tov.

Jose Fernandez: “That’s what we need from her… she looked to find people. It’s been a big growth in Arike, because she’s had to be a high-volume type of guy.

Well, she doesn’t have to be that on this team.”

— Drake (@DrakeKeeler) June 16, 2026

The Wings allowed just 86 points per 100 possessions with Ogunbowale on the court against the Aces. And she assisted 34 percent of Dallas' buckets when she was on the floor.

It's a new Arike, and the 9-5 Wings are benefitting massively.

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