Individually, Arike Ogunbowale is having a stellar 2024 season. She’s averaging 22.3 factors, 5.3 assists, 4.8 rebounds and a pair of.3 steals per sport, all profession highs for the Dallas Wings guard. With the season’s last stretch approaching and Satou Sabally again, the Wings are in prime place to combat for a playoff spot and make some noise this postseason.
Swish Enchantment interviewed Ogunbowale to debate how she’s ready for this profession yr, what her group has to do to seek out success, and why partnering with Raid made sense for her.
Relating to her profession numbers, Ogunbowale made it clear her time within the fitness center is a key think about her success.
I get after it, within the weight room, all the time offseasons are undoubtedly robust, however I feel the largest factor is how I work out. I by no means shoot any photographs and not using a hand in my face. Even when I’m simply doing spot taking pictures, there’s all the time any person there trigger I do know the kind of defenses I see, so I attempt to observe how I play. So any drill I’m doing whether or not it’s slightly sweep by to the elbow, there’s all the time going to be a defender there. Credit score to the individuals I exercise with and it’s all the time guys. The blokes I exercise with they dedicate their time day by day to understanding with me and making me higher and holding protection like I’d see in a sport. Trapping me, doubling me so, undoubtedly the coaching that I do I observe how I play.
That sort of play and depth actually got here out throughout her All-Star Recreation efficiency. She scored 34 factors, breaking the report for many factors in an All-Star sport, and led the WNBA All-Stars to victory, defeating Staff USA on this exhibition matchup.
She was named the MVP of the sport and mentioned what being in that sort of zone appears like.
As soon as a participant will get like that, and it actually might occur to any WNBA participant, the elite gamers, as soon as they get like that, there’s actually no stopping them. Except you’re about to ship each participant at them, they will discover a method to rating trigger they’re simply sizzling. A participant will get sizzling like that it’s robust to cease. Trigger they don’t see something however the basket. It doesn’t matter what you do on protection. They don’t see something however the basket. I feel that’s kinda how I felt; I used to be simply within the zone. Every part was getting knocked down and I had nice gamers round me, that had been discovering me, setting good screens, they knew I used to be sizzling they usually needed to feed me so I recognize that. It was enjoyable, and I used to be undoubtedly within the zone.
Taking part in on basically a dream group and being the star that shines brightest is actually exhilarating, however that point is over and executed with. The truth is the Wings are three video games again of the eighth and last playoff spot. With little time remaining, it is now or by no means to make a playoff push.
Each sport issues, each possession issues, and that’s how I’m approaching it. I do know that’s how the group’s approaching it. We’re attempting to make that playoff run and I sort of prefer it, sort of underdogs proper now, so it’s going to be enjoyable. I’m about to go on the market and provides every thing I’ve.
We’ll discover out in September whether or not they make it to the postseason, however we all know that Ogunbowale will depart all of it on the courtroom—and that she is going to get her suits off.
I like selecting suits for the video games and for occasions. Typically I’ll have individuals assist me simply trigger there’s loads occurring, however it’s undoubtedly enjoyable simply collaborating with individuals or simply shopping for garments myself.
Her partnership with Raid was born from her love of garments, notably sneakers, and her need to maintain her sneakers clear whereas coping with the humongous bugs that reside in Texas.
They reached out as a result of, fashion-wise, I’ve an enormous shoe room and the entire marketing campaign is “Save your sneakers from killing bugs.” So the entire thing is there’s a RaidShoeSaver.com and you are taking your shoe, you scan the tag of it and also you get financial savings on Raid merchandise and Raid stuff to kill bugs, and clearly all people’s used a shoe to kill a bug so it’s good partnering with them. I’ve loads of sneakers, shoe background and my shoe value, serving to them with the product to save lots of your shoe, so it was undoubtedly on model for me and tremendous dope.
With Raid in hand, clear Air Pressure Ones off the courtroom and Kobe’s for on-court play, Ogunbowale is primed to complete the WNBA common season robust, along with her working mate Satou Sabally proper by her facet.
Whatever the last consequence, each matchup remaining for the Dallas Wings can be must-see tv. Ogunbowale is having an all-time season, and the thought that she nonetheless has extra to offer is a daunting one for the remainder of the league.
