Arike Ogunbowale: Brother| Height| Stats| VS fever| Age| Shoes

Arike Ogunbowale at a glance

Arike Ogunbowale remains one of the most recognizable guards in the WNBA. The Dallas Wings star has built her reputation around explosive scoring, confidence in late-game situations and a deep connection to basketball sneaker culture.

Born on March 2, 1997, Ogunbowale is 29 years old as of August 2026. The WNBA lists her at 5-foot-8 and 165 pounds, with Notre Dame as her college and the Dallas Wings as her WNBA team. She was selected fifth overall by Dallas in the 2019 WNBA Draft.

Her name has been particularly prominent again in August 2026 after a huge performance against the Indiana Fever.

How old is Arike Ogunbowale?

Arike Ogunbowale was born March 2, 1997, in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

She turned 29 in March 2026. Her basketball journey started in Wisconsin, where she was also a standout soccer player before becoming one of the country’s top basketball prospects.

Ogunbowale later became a star at Notre Dame and helped the Fighting Irish win the 2018 NCAA championship. She was named the tournament’s Most Outstanding Player after delivering memorable clutch shots during the Final Four.

How tall is Arike Ogunbowale?

Arike Ogunbowale is officially listed at 5 feet 8 inches (173 cm) by the WNBA. Her listed weight is 165 pounds.

Although she is not among the tallest guards in professional basketball, Ogunbowale’s strength, speed, ball-handling and shot creation allow her to compete effectively against bigger players.

Her ability to create space is particularly important because she often operates with the ball in her hands and is comfortable taking difficult shots.

Who is Arike Ogunbowale’s brother?

Arike has two older brothers, Mario and Dare Ogunbowale. The most prominent athlete in the family besides Arike is Dare Ogunbowale, who has played professional football. USA Basketball’s biographical information identifies Arike as the youngest of three children and lists Mario and Dare as her older brothers.

Dare played football at the University of Wisconsin before pursuing an NFL career. He eventually signed with the Houston Texans as an undrafted free agent in 2017. The Jacksonville Jaguars also documented his NFL background and his relationship with his younger sister Arike.

The siblings have remained close throughout their professional careers. Arike has also credited Dare with influencing her interest in sneakers.

In an interview with Hypebeast, Ogunbowale explained that seeing her older brother collect Nike and Jordan sneakers helped inspire her own sneaker collection.

That family connection helps explain why footwear has become such a visible part of Arike’s off-court and on-court identity.

Arike Ogunbowale’s WNBA stats

Ogunbowale has established herself as a high-level WNBA scorer since entering the league.

According to the WNBA’s current player profile, she has career averages of approximately 19.2 points, 3.2 rebounds and 3.9 assists per game. Her 2026 season averages are around 14.5-14.6 points, 3.1 rebounds and 3.1 assists per game, depending on the latest statistical update.

Her career résumé includes:

• 2019 WNBA All-Rookie Team
• 2020 WNBA scoring champion
• 2020 All-WNBA First Team
• 2021 WNBA All-Star Game MVP
• Multiple WNBA All-Star selections
• 2024 WNBA All-Star Game MVP
• 2024 All-WNBA Second Team
• 2018 NCAA champion with Notre Dame

The WNBA also notes several major statistical milestones from her career. In 2024, she averaged 22.2 points, 4.6 rebounds, 5.1 assists and 2.1 steals while leading the league in steals, free-throw percentage and minutes played.

Arike Ogunbowale vs Fever

The matchup between Arike Ogunbowale and the Indiana Fever has become an increasingly interesting WNBA storyline, particularly because the Fever feature stars such as Caitlin Clark and Kelsey Mitchell.

Ogunbowale and the Wings faced Indiana on August 20, 2026, and she produced one of her biggest performances of the season.

The Dallas Wings defeated the Fever 91-85, with Ogunbowale scoring a season-high 32 points. She scored 25 of those points in the second half as Dallas overcame a difficult stretch and ended Indiana’s five-game winning streak.

Kelsey Mitchell led Indiana with 36 points, while Caitlin Clark finished with 10 points. The result gave Dallas an important win in front of more than 20,000 fans at the American Airlines Center.

The performance was also significant historically. Ogunbowale reached 5,000 career points and 1,000 assists, becoming the third-fastest player in WNBA history to reach those milestones, according to the game recap.

Ogunbowale’s recent Fever performance

This latest performance is another example of why Ogunbowale remains one of the WNBA’s most dangerous scoring guards.

What shoes does Arike Ogunbowale wear?

Sneakers are a major part of Arike Ogunbowale’s basketball identity.

She has frequently worn Nike basketball shoes, including models from the Kobe line and the Nike GT Cut series. A shoe-tracking database lists Nike as the dominant brand in her recorded game footwear, with the Nike Kobe 6, Nike Air Zoom G.T. Cut 2 and Nike Kobe V among the models she has worn most often.

Her connection to the Kobe brand has become especially noticeable during the 2026 season.

In May 2026, Ogunbowale debuted a Nike Kobe 6 Protro player-exclusive during the WNBA season. The shoe featured a desert-camo or snakeskin-inspired design and was reportedly made specifically for her rather than being a standard retail release.

Then, in July, she debuted another exclusive: a Nike Kobe 5 Protro PE. The shoe featured a split-color design with navy, coral red and light blue elements. Reports indicated that the pair was a player-exclusive and did not have a public retail release date.

Her footwear history also includes the Nike GT Cut 2 “Bright Mandarin,” which was her first publicly released sneaker model, according to sneaker coverage.

Why does Arike wear Kobe shoes?

There is a strong personal connection between Ogunbowale and Kobe Bryant’s basketball legacy.

Ogunbowale has spoken publicly about her admiration for Bryant, and Kobe-inspired footwear has become a recurring feature of her game-day sneaker rotation.

Her style also goes beyond basketball. She has developed a reputation for fashion and sneaker collecting, something she says was influenced by her family and especially her brother Dare.

That makes her appearance in Kobe player-exclusive sneakers particularly fitting. She is not simply wearing a popular basketball shoe; she has become one of the WNBA players most closely associated with Kobe footwear.

Arike Ogunbowale’s college career

Before becoming a WNBA star, Ogunbowale played four seasons at Notre Dame.

Her college career reached its peak during the 2018 NCAA Tournament. She hit dramatic game-winning shots against both UConn and Mississippi State during the Final Four, helping Notre Dame capture the national championship.

She was named the tournament’s Most Outstanding Player.

The WNBA profile credits her with several major college honors, including two second-team Associated Press All-American selections, two WBCA Coaches’ All-American honors and first-team USBWA All-American recognition.

When was Arike Ogunbowale drafted?

The Dallas Wings selected Ogunbowale with the fifth overall pick in the first round of the 2019 WNBA Draft.

She immediately became an important scoring option for Dallas. During her rookie season, she averaged 19.1 points, 2.4 rebounds, 3.2 assists and 1.1 steals per game.

She also scored at least 30 points in four consecutive games, matching a WNBA rookie record at the time.

Arike Ogunbowale’s biggest WNBA achievements

Ogunbowale’s career has featured several impressive statistical milestones.

In 2020, she won the WNBA scoring title, averaging 22.8 points per game, and earned All-WNBA First Team honors.

She later became a two-time All-Star Game MVP. Her 2024 performance was especially memorable because she scored 34 points, setting the WNBA All-Star Game scoring record at the time. The WNBA also credits her with leading the league in steals, free-throw percentage and minutes that season.

Her 2026 campaign has added another milestone to that résumé, with her recent Fever performance helping her reach 5,000 career points and 1,000 assists.

Final thoughts

Arike Ogunbowale’s story is about much more than scoring statistics.

At 29, the Dallas Wings guard continues to be one of the WNBA’s most recognizable offensive players. She stands 5-foot-8, has a decorated professional and college résumé, and comes from an athletic family that includes her older brother Dare Ogunbowale, a former Wisconsin football player and NFL running back.

Her latest performance against the Indiana Fever further demonstrated her ability to take over a game. Ogunbowale scored 32 points in Dallas’ 91-85 victory, while also reaching the 5,000-point and 1,000-assist career milestones.

Off the court, her sneaker collection remains another major part of her profile. From Nike GT Cut models to Kobe 5 and Kobe 6 player exclusives, Ogunbowale has developed one of the WNBA’s most interesting basketball footwear rotations.

FAQs

How old is Arike Ogunbowale?
Arike Ogunbowale is 29 years old. She was born March 2, 1997.

How tall is Arike Ogunbowale?
The WNBA lists Ogunbowale at 5-foot-8 (173 cm).

Who is Arike Ogunbowale’s brother?
Her older brother Dare Ogunbowale is a football player who played at Wisconsin and pursued an NFL career. She also has another older brother, Mario.

How did Arike Ogunbowale do against the Fever?
She scored 32 points as the Dallas Wings defeated the Indiana Fever 91-85 on August 20, 2026.

What shoes does Arike Ogunbowale wear?
Ogunbowale predominantly wears Nike basketball shoes. Her rotation has included Nike Kobe 5, Kobe 6 and GT Cut models, including several player-exclusive Kobe PEs.

What team does Arike Ogunbowale play for?
She plays guard for the Dallas Wings and has spent her entire WNBA career with the franchise.