And it’s a win!! When the Indiana Pacers stepped into Paycom Center to face off against the Oklahoma City Thunder in front of a roaring crowd of over 18,000, they weren’t exactly anyone’s pick to win it. Let’s be honest, Indiana came in with a respectable 50-32 record, but OKC? They were sitting on a dominant 68-14 season. The odds were stacked, and for most of the game, it looked like things were going exactly as expected. That is, until Tyrese Haliburton happened.

With about a second left on the clock, Haliburton hit a clutch 21-foot jumper to give Indiana its first and only lead of the night. The final score? 111-110. An absolute stunner. A game-changer. A moment of magic. And if you’re struggling to find the words to describe what just happened, don’t worry, Dallas Wings star Arike Ogunbowale did it for us.

She hopped on X and dropped the perfect 1-word reaction: “Craziest.” She followed it up with, “Haliburton is on the craziest run I’ve ever seen omg.” Honestly? She’s not wrong. Just consider, when Hailburton checked back into the game with 9:42 remaining in the fourth quarter, the Pacers were trailing 94-79. So, all odds were against them, but then Haliburton flipped the script.

4:51 minutes were left on the clock when he hit a tough two-point jumper that chipped away at the OKC’s lead and made it 98-102. But it wasn’t just the bucket, it was the calm, composed way he handled the chaos. Down 110-109 with the clock ticking, Haliburton didn’t panic. No timeout, no hesitation, just pure trust. He took the ball coast to coast, pulled up from 21 feet with 1 second left, and drained it. And that shot was Indiana’s first and only lead of the entire night. And just like that, Game 1 was theirs.

So clearly, Haliburton didn’t need a 40-point night to steal the show. He finished with a 14-point, 10-rebound double-double, and that was enough. Now you know why Arike Ogunbowale called it one of the craziest finishes. And that’s coming from an All-Star MVP herself.

Remember last year? She went up against Team USA and dropped a massive game-high 34 points. For those unaware, that performance came against the same squad that went on to win gold at the 2024 Paris Olympics. So yes, she knows a crazy run when she sees one. But while her praise fits perfectly with Haliburton’s moment of glory, she might need a little of that magic for her team and herself.

Paige Bueckers and co. are skating on thin ice, despite Arike leading the squad!

Arike Ogunbowale was the league’s second-highest scorer behind A’ja Wilson just last season. But so far, that same magic just isn’t translating for the Dallas Wings in their 2025 regular season campaign. Barely nine games in, and the Wings are already scraping the bottom of the WNBA standings with a disheartening 1-8 record. But what makes it even more frustrating is that this isn’t a roster lacking talent. With names like Arike herself, DiJonai Carrington, and rookie sensation Paige Bueckers, on paper, this team should be cooking. They even rank fifth in points per game and eighth in assists– those numbers that don’t exactly scream “last place.”

But when you dig deeper, their average of 81 points per game just hasn’t been enough, especially with Ogunbowale posting a career-low 16.1 points per game. She was supposed to form a dynamic backcourt duo with Paige Bueckers, but so far, the chemistry hasn’t quite clicked. And that’s because she’s been hot and cold. Sure, she exploded for 37 points against the Chicago Sky and looked every bit the star.

But zoom out, and you’ll see that she’s already had three games where she scored under 10 points, a sharp contrast to last season, where she had just one such game all year. So, what’s going on? Well, the part of the dip might come down to adjustment. With Bueckers shouldering more of the offensive load, Arike is in a bit of a transitional phase, and it’s starting to show in her efficiency. But will she get there anytime soon? Well, that remains to be seen!