Amid a challenging season for her team — and for her individually — Arike Ogunbowale’s future with the Dallas Wings has been under the microscope.
Ogunbowale, a three-time All-WNBA guard, is on an expiring contract. Moreover, following their decision to deal DiJonai Carrington to the Minnesota Lynx, the Wings are building for a future centered on Paige Bueckers, who is enjoying a historic rookie season.
However, Dallas general manager Curt Miller is in no mood to trade his franchise’s all-time leading scorer.
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According to Wings reporter Melissa Triebwasser, the Wings will not move Ogunbowale prior to Thursday’s trade deadline, and Dallas hopes to engage with the 28-year-old on a contract extension during the offseason.
Ogunbowale has missed three games this season due to a thumb injury, and she is averaging a career-low 15.7 points per game on career-worst 36.6 percent shooting from the field. Dallas, with the league’s third-worst record at 8-21, allows 112 points per 100 possessions when she is on the floor.
However, Ogunbowale re-emphasized her value with a 20-point, 14-assist showing against the New York Liberty on July 28, helping Dallas to a 92-82 upset win over the defending champions. For her career, Ogunbowale is a 20 point-per-game scorer; she is behind only A’ja Wilson and Breanna Stewart among the top active scorers in the WNBA.
Given the tenuous nature of the league’s collective bargaining negotiations with the players’ union, it could be some time yet before Ogunbowale’s future is resolved. But it seems certain that she will share the backcourt with Bueckers for years to come.
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