Alexa PhilippouApr 10, 2026, 02:18 PM ET
- Covers women's college basketball and the WNBA
- Previously covered UConn and the WNBA Connecticut Sun for the Hartford Courant
- Stanford graduate and Baltimore native with further experience at the Dallas Morning News, Seattle Times and Cincinnati Enquirer
Four-time WNBA All-Star Arike Ogunbowale is signing a seven-figure, multiyear deal to return to the Dallas Wings, sources told ESPN on Friday.
Ogunbowale was extended a core qualifying offer by the Wings earlier this week, making her eligible for the $1.4 million supermax in 2026, but she is taking less than that for the team to be able to build a quality roster around her, sources said. She is committed to the franchise and city that drafted her No. 5 overall in 2019 out of Notre Dame.
The Wings also have the No. 1 pick in Monday's collegiate draft. With new head coach Jose Fernandez at the helm, the Wings will look to return to the playoffs with a group led by Ogunbowale and 2025 first overall pick Paige Bueckers.
During her time in Dallas, Ogunbowale has been a three-time all-WNBA selection, leading the league in scoring in 2020 and clinching two All-Star Game MVP honors.
The 5-foot-8 guard averaged a career-low 15.5 points, 4.1 assists, 2.5 rebounds and 1.3 steals per game in 2025 as the Wings finished last in the standings and missed the playoffs for the second consecutive year. Prior to last season, she'd established herself as one of the league's most prolific scorers and dynamic offensive players, averaging at least 19 points per game in each season of her WNBA career.
Ogunbowale also won a championship this past offseason at Unrivaled with Mist B.C.
