Arike Ogunbowale led Notre Dame to a national championship in 2018 and has since made a name for herself as an elite scorer in the WNBA. She has played for the Dallas Wings since being drafted in 2019 and has been recognized as a four-time WNBA All-Star.
On March 6, 2026, Ogunbowale was arrested and charged with misdemeanor battery after allegedly punching a man in the face at Club E11EVEN in Miami. The incident occurred around 4:30 AM as Ogunbowale was celebrating her team’s victory in the Unrivaled championship, where she scored 19 points in the title game.
According to reports, the victim was attempting to escort Ogunbowale out of the club due to an unrelated altercation when the incident took place. Surveillance footage from the nightclub corroborated the victim’s account of the event.
Reactions and Next Steps
Ogunbowale was released from custody after posting a $1,000 bond. The Dallas Wings have stated that they are in the process of gathering more information regarding the incident. Tish Carmona, a spokesperson for the league, confirmed, “The league is aware of an incident involving Arike Ogunbowale and we are in the process of gathering additional information.”
Breanna Stewart, a fellow player, expressed her concern, stating, “I have no comments on that right now. Just really happy that Arike is safe and OK and anything else will have to be figured out with Unrivaled.” Observers are awaiting further details as the situation develops, and the Wings continue to assess the implications for Ogunbowale’s career.
Details remain unconfirmed.
