Paige Bueckers' Wings face big decision as franchise record-holder nears free agency

Few teams in the WNBA will dominate the offseason narrative quite like the Dallas Wings.

How the Wings continue to build around Rookie of the Year Paige Bueckers might have a domino effect around the league. Dallas has indicated that it wants to keep developing the pieces around Bueckers, who is already one of the faces of the league. But the Wings also figure to be aggressive in free agency, hoping the allure of Bueckers can convince an All-Star to take a leap of faith and play in Texas.

But one of the Wings' own pending All-Star free agents stands at the nexus of these two eras. Whether Dallas chooses to retain her is a key offseason storyline.

Will Arike be back?

The Wings opted to hang on to Arike Ogunbowale as the WNBA's trade deadline came and went on Aug. 7. Now, Dallas faces a huge decision with a player who has defined an era of Wings basketball and holds numerous offensive records for the franchise.

Like almost every player who is not already signed to a rookie contract, Ogunbowale will be a free agent in 2026, whenever the WNBA and the WNBPA sign off on a new collective bargaining agreement. That in turn will see the WNBA finalize the calendar for next season -- and begin a free agent frenzy unlike any seen before in the league's 29-year history.

In her seven-year career, Ogunbowale has been named an All-Star four times, and she was named MVP of the 2024 game. The former Notre Dame guard is the Dallas franchise's all-time leader in points per game, points scored, field goals made and free throws made. Her career scoring average of 19.9 points is fourth in WNBA history, behind only A'ja Wilson and Breanna Stewart among active players.

However, Ogunbowale's value might be tough to gauge. That's because she is coming off the worst season of her career.

In 2025, Ogunbowale missed 15 games through injury and did not play after Aug. 10. She shot a career-worst 36.4 percent from the field and averaged a career-low 15.5 points per game. She turns 29 in March and earned a salary ($249,032) just below the league's supermax. The fact that the Wings have hired another head coach -- the franchise's fourth in five years -- muddies the waters even further.

Betting on an Ogunbowale bounce-back could be worth it for Dallas, especially given Bueckers' adaptability and comfort as a facilitator. Wings general manager Curt Miller too has indicated that he wants to engage with Ogunbowale on a new contract in the spring. After all, Dallas is still in a rebuild and lacks experienced players. Letting Ogunbowale leave for nothing, after missing out on a chance to acquire players or draft capital in return, would be something of a head-scratcher.

But Miller and Jose Fernandez will have to decide on the best way forward. The choice they make could come to define Dallas' 2026 season.

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• Paige Bueckers' Wings named best landing spot for Caitlin Clark's All-Star teammate

• Paige Bueckers' new coach reveals how he will make the Wings star even better