Dallas Wings standout Arike Ogunbowale found herself in legal trouble early Thursday morning when Miami-Dade County authorities took her into custody on a misdemeanor battery charge following an alleged nightclub altercation.
Law enforcement officials report that the four-time All-Star guard allegedly struck a man with her fist outside a Miami nightclub, causing the individual to fall to the ground. The arrest took place at 4:20 a.m. Eastern Time.
The incident happened while Ogunbowale was out with her Mist teammates celebrating their victory in Wednesday evening’s Unrivaled 3-on-3 championship game. The 29-year-old player, who celebrated her birthday just this past Monday, had contributed 19 points to help Mist BC secure an 80-74 victory over Phantom BC in Medley, Florida.
An Unrivaled league representative addressed the situation in a statement to ESPN, saying: “The league is aware of an incident involving Arike Ogunbowale and we are in the process of gathering additional information. We’re in contact with Arike and her representatives.”
The Dallas Wings organization also released their own statement regarding the matter. “The Wings are aware of an incident involving Arike Ogunbowale and are in the process of gathering more information,” the team told ESPN. “Further comments will be provided once we have more details.”
Since joining the WNBA as the fifth overall draft selection in 2019, Ogunbowale has established herself as one of the league’s premier players. Over 224 career games, she has maintained averages of 19.9 points, 4.0 assists, and 3.2 rebounds per contest. Her accolades include three All-WNBA team selections and two All-Star Game MVP awards.
The Wings are preparing for the upcoming 2026 WNBA season after finishing with a disappointing 10-34 record last year. Their regular season opener is scheduled for May 9 against the Indiana Fever.
