The Dallas Wings are going into the WNBA’s free agency period unsure of whether their star player Arike Ogunbowale will be back.
Ogunbowale has been with the Wings since the franchise selected her with the No. 5 overall pick in the 2019 WNBA Draft. Her future is up in the air as she is no longer under contract, but general manager Curt Miller offered a hint in regards to how the team feels about possibly re-signing her.
“Paige wants to be involved in recruiting players to Dallas,” Miller said via Dallas Hoops Journal reporter Grant Afseth.
“Arike also initiates free agency conversations with me. It’s exciting that your two best players consistently want to talk future. She’ll pick up the phone and call me—‘What about so-and-so?’ … Since the All-Star break, you see the way she and Paige communicate. You can hear them speaking the same language.”
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Arike Ogunbowale in action during the game between the Dallas Wings and the New York Liberty. / Jerome Miron-Imagn Images
The fact that Ogunbowale is talking with the front office about potential free agents is a sign that she will be back with the Wings for the 2026 season. That could change the type of players the Wings will target, likely moving towards frontcourt options as opposed to shooting guards.
Ogunbowale should receive considerable interest in free agency, especially with the Portland Fire and Toronto Tempo coming into the league as expansion franchises.
While Ogunbowale had her worst season to date with the Wings in 2025, she remains one of the best shooting guards in the league. The Wings guard averaged 15.5 points and 4.1 assists per game while trying to figure out how to play alongside Bueckers.
With a new head coach in Jose Fernandez, Ogunbowale and Bueckers will be tasked with executing his game plan and system to ensure the Wings get back into relevancy in the WNBA standings in 2026.
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