Paige Bueckers makes feelings clear on Arike Ogunbowale following Wings star's poor showing 

Paige Bueckers showcased her maturity during a postgame interview following the Dallas Wings’ 79-71 loss against the Seattle Storm. Arike Ogunbowale, who was in the spotlight for an underwhelming performance, contributed to the Wings' second straight loss. However, Bueckers chose not to point fingers.

Instead, the rookie decided to shed light on the importance of team development.

"We're learning, we're growing we're all learning as a team and growing as a team,” Bueckers said. “We're not really focused on, as much as it's exciting to play with Arike in the backcourt and she's one of the premier players in the league, we're trying to grow as a team and we're not focused on any duo, trio, whatever. We're focused on 1-12 and how we look as a team."

Arike Ogunbowale struggled mightily in the loss, being able to deliver eight points on 2-for-14 shooting — her lowest-scoring performance since June 22, 2024. She was unable to record even a single assist as well, her first game without one since June 19, 2024.

On the other hand, Bueckers rose to the occasion by carrying a majority of the offensive responsibility. The former UConn star delivered a well-rounded performance, finishing with a team-high 19 points along with eight assists, five rebounds, two steals and a block.

Wings continue to express confidence in Arike Ogunbowale

Ogunbowale has had a slow start to the 2025 WNBA season. Through the first two games, she's averaging 12.0 points per game while shooting a disappointing 23.8% from the field, struggling to find her usual scoring rhythm.

To help her bounce back before the slump extends beyond these two games, Dallas Wings head coach Chris Koclanes is focused on maintaining her confidence. His approach: Keep encouraging Ogunbowale to stay aggressive offensively.

"Continue to go to her and empower her to continue to be aggressive, you know, playing within our structure,” Koclanes said. “And really finding ways to impact the game when she's not scoring. I think that's a growth opportunity for her.”

Ogunbowale is coming off a stellar 2024 season, where she averaged 22.2 ppg, 4.6 rpg and 5.1 apg. She also had a solid showing in Unrivaled, putting up 10.0 ppg and 3.8 apg before injuries cut her time short.

Ogunbowale will aim to redeem herself during the Wings' upcoming contest against the Minnesota Lynx on Wednesday.