The Indiana Fever secured a big 94–86 road win over the Dallas Wings on Friday night, giving head coach Stephanie White her 100th career victory. It was a fast start and a tough finish that sealed it for Indiana—but while rookie Paige Bueckers continued to make headlines for all the right reasons, her backcourt partner Arike Ogunbowale found herself under a different kind of spotlight. As the Fever took control early and held strong late, all eyes turned to Dallas—not just for the loss, but for the growing questions around their veteran star.

Arike Ogunbowale has been the undeniable heartbeat of the Dallas Wings ever since they selected her with the 5th overall pick in the 2019 WNBA Draft. Now in her seventh season, she remains one of the league’s most dynamic and consistent scorers, averaging 20.3 points, 3.9 assists, and 3.3 rebounds over 212 regular-season games. Her scoring touch hasn’t faded. She dropped 21 points in her last outing, continuing to anchor the Wings’ offense, as Dallas rolled to a 68–55 win over the Atlanta Dream.

The Wings had everything going for them—a packed home crowd, national attention, and no Caitlin Clark in Indiana’s lineup, in yesterday’s game. Instead of capitalizing, they fell flat. The Fever, fresh off a loss the night before, came into Arlington and stole a 94–86 win. Bueckers scored early and then went quiet, while Arike didn’t get on the board until nearly halfway through the game and finished with 15 points.

Now at 4–12, the Wings sit at the bottom of the standings, and DiJonai Carrington’s absence is being felt more than ever. The rookie guard, out again with a rib injury, had been a steady two-way contributor with 11.8 points, 5.1 boards, and strong defensive energy. Without her, the offensive load has landed squarely on Bueckers and Arike—and when both start slow, Dallas just can’t recover. Li Yueru, a defensive fan favorite, struggled too, getting picked apart in the Fever’s pick-and-roll sets and outmuscled by Aliyah Boston in the paint. The margins for error are slim, and right now, Dallas keeps falling on the wrong side of them.

“I know a lot of people are talking — 0-4, bad shooting, whatever it is. But it’s really hard to learn a new system and play with a whole new team,” Arike told DallasHoopsJournal.com after a 109–87 road win over the Connecticut Sun. “It’s not like it’s a new coach with the same team — everything’s new.” For Arike, who finished with 19 points and tied her career high with six steals that night, the win meant more than just numbers. “I’ve just been trying to get used to the system, trying not to overdo it, and still share the ball,” she added. It’s a reminder that beyond the box scores and hot takes, there’s a real adjustment happening—and it’s going to take more than a few games to get it right.

Fans lash out on Arike Ogunbowale for Wings’ loss

The Arike Ogunbowale discourse hit full volume after the Dallas Wings’ 94–86 loss to the Indiana Fever on June 27. And if you spent five minutes on WNBA Twitter, you saw it: “The Wings are going to have to trade Arike.” That was the temperature from fans frustrated by another night where her inefficiency in early stretches—particularly in Q1—stood out. She missed all three of her shots in the first quarter and turned the ball over twice. When the game started slipping away, the fingers pointed fast. But here’s the thing: Arike’s night wasn’t all bad, and boiling it down to a single quarter oversimplifies what she actually did on the floor.

The claim that “The Wings are better without Arike on the floor” echoed hard during Q4. And sure, the team looked more fluid with Paige Bueckers running point, especially after Arike was subbed out following two more missed shots and a take foul. But that doesn’t cancel out her impact in Q3. She scored inside, hit a mid-range jumper, blocked a layup from Aari McDonald, and drew fouls that got her to the line. Her offense clicked when it mattered most, and it gave Dallas a genuine push. The problem isn’t Arike being on the floor—it’s the system struggling to make both her and Paige thrive at once.

Then there were the fans saying, “Arike Ogunbowale gotta be easiest ban of my life.” That’s the kind of line that gets tossed out fast, especially after a cold Q1. But it ignores how she responded. In Q2 and Q3, she found her rhythm. She hit a three, cashed in a short jumper, and even handed out an assist. That’s the kind of bounce-back performance you expect from a veteran scorer—and one that should earn more respect than dismissal.

Others took it a step further: “Dallas needs to give Paige the keys and get rid of Arike before it’s too late.” That sentiment has grown with every Bueckers highlight, and Paige has shown star power. But this isn’t an either-or situation. The Wings’ most promising flashes have come when Arike draws defenders and frees up others, including Paige. The better question is how to balance the two—not who to boot. Arike still commands gravity on the floor, and defenses treat her like a threat every single night.

And finally, the most thoughtful critique: “The Dallas Wings coach has no clue how to use Paige and Arike together on the court.” Honestly? There’s something to that. When both are in, the offense sometimes gets stagnant. There’s confusion, overlap, and not enough movement. But that’s not just a player problem—it’s a coaching and spacing issue. Coach Chris Koclanes is still figuring out rotations and roles, but Q3 proved they can coexist.

The blueprint is there. The Wings just have to stop treating it like a dilemma and start building the offense around both. After Dallas’ loss to Mystics, Chris had said, “That starting group actually wasn’t great tonight,”  per a YouTube video from Grant Afseth. “And so just finding [starting] lineups that really work. I keep talking about it every night, but it’s our competitive depth, and just searching for what that combination is each night.”