“She’s electric, obviously a bucket getter.” Destructive. If there were only one word to describe the Dallas Wings’ backcourt after the 2025 draft, it would be destructive. Paige Bueckers, after a legendary collegiate career, is making the big leagues look like a piece of cake, and Arike? Well, we know how she rolls! The two of them together inspire fear among the twelve other backcourts in the nation, and rightfully so.

Of course, there have been some growing pains with the roster, as was evident in their first preseason game against the Aces. However, there’s no doubt that they will be absolutely lethal when they get going! Aside from Bueckers’ obvious stardom, Arike Ogunbowale cannot be overlooked. The five-foot-eight guard has been a major name for the past few years, making every All-Star game since 2021. However, according to ESPN, she isn’t be in the top 10 players of the league!

A recent pre-season ranking released by ESPN has Arike Ogunbowale at number 14 on their list, which is frankly quite disrespectful. The Dallas Wings guard averaged 22, 5, and 4 last year, and was even the All-Star game MVP for the second time in her career! Sure, there have been some issues with her efficiency, but her stats speak for itself.

Ogunbowale is almost an unstoppable force of nature offensively. We all remember her 9 3-pointers made against the Fever, and her 14 point explosion to seal the game against Angel Reese and her Chicago Sky. She’s definitely something special!

Many consider Arike to be a top-3 scorer in the WNBA, so it’s simply baffling for ESPN to put her so low. And the fans agree! Without Ogunbowale, Dallas would have been helpless over the last few years. Needless to say, mirroring our thoughts, there has been a lot of backlash towards the broadcasting company after this list.

But what exactly are the public saying? Let’s find out!

Fans bash ESPN for ranking blunder with Paige Bueckers and her teammate

Social media went wild after ESPN’s newest pre-season ranking. After all, Dallas fans cannot take anymore disrespect this year. The entire Luka Doncic-Nico Harrison fiasco has guaranteed that everything will be taken personally, and the fans will look to win at all costs.

And in terms of this ranking? Fans weren’t happy. “The Arike Ogunbowale disrespect is crazyyyyy” One user said on X, and it was a common sentiment. “Arike should definitely be in the top 10,” another fan tweeted. The five-foot-eight point guard has been one of the best scorers in the league, but her efficiency and plus-minus has always been in doubt.

There might be some issues with her efficiency, but the positives outweigh all the negatives. A fan on X pointed out why she deserves to be in the top-10. “Note: Arike Ogunbowale is at least a top-10 player. She’s the second-best scorer in the league, and while her efficiency may be questioned, it’s balanced by the fact that she ranked eighth in assists and also generated points off her league-leading (2.1) steals per game,” they said, and it makes sense!

If nothing else, Ogunbowale deserves a top-10 spot for her All-Star Game MVP alone. Considering that she has won it twice, and was responsible for the Dallas Wings’ limited success over the last few years, that is the least that ESPN could do.

It wasn’t just about Arike Ogunbowale, however, as many fans had issues in general with rankings. “arike top 10 and one dimensional km is not top 15 and skylar and hamby too low” A user said on X, commenting on the arrangement of the top-25 list, and how it didn’t necessarily make sense. Such discourse is commonplace for the league. However, this time around, Dallas fans were so upset that they even called out ESPN as a company! “This list is a joke. Just like ESPN.” An X user responded.

Nevertheless, even with the controversial rankings rubbing them the wrong way, Dallas fans have a lot to look forward to this season. With the addition of Paige Bueckers, the backcourt gets a major boost, and so does the offense and facilitation. The UConn alum is known for generating heaps of offense, and we can’t wait to see what kind of impact she will make on the Wings franchise.

Will Dallas be able to make a playoff push this year? Or will they suffer a similar fate as last season? Only time will tell.