The Dallas Wings sit at 16-14 and in the driver’s seat for the fourth seed in the WNBA playoffs, which would grant them homecourt advantage in a first-round matchup. This is a surprising season for Dallas as most, including our own projections, had them well below a fourth seed in the standings. And while Satou Sabally and Natasha Howard have a lot to do with the Wings’ success, Arike Ogunbowale shines brightest.
The three-time All-Star guard is having a career year with highs in assists (4.4), rebounds (3.5), steals (1.6) and minutes played (37). She’s also averaging 20.9 points per game, just a bucket shy of the career-high of 22.8 she achieved in 2020 in the Wubble.
So what makes Ogunbowale such an effective player?
Arike the shooter
No one takes more shots from beyond 25 feet than Ogunbowale. She’s averaging 3.5 attempts and converting on 32.1 percent of those shots. Only Sabrina Ionescu is comparable, with Ionescu attempting 3.3 deep attempts and converting on 38 percent of them. That’s good company to be in!
Because of Ogunbowale’s ability to pull up from anywhere, defenses are forced to pick her up immediately and react to her the moment she has the ball. If she lets it fly, it could be a devastating bucket. If you try to apply pressure, she can drive right…
