"Paige fans are so nasty": Fans react as Paige Bueckers' supporters' express outrage over Arike Ogunbowale's 'selfish' play

On Monday, fans expressed dissatisfaction with Paige Bueckers' supporters after they criticized her teammate, Arike Ogunbowale. They blamed Ogunbowale for the team’s loss, as the Seattle Storm secured a nine-point victory over the Dallas Wings in Texas. The Wings have now lost both of their opening games and currently sit at the bottom of the WNBA rankings.

Bueckers' fans went after Ogunbowale for her 'selfish' play style during the Wings' loss, as they took to X (formerly Twitter) to vent their disapproval.

"I'm going to say this with so much respect.. Paige plays with structure, control, and discipline. A*ike does not. I don't see them being on the same team together much longer if they want the franchise to move forward," the tweet read.

This was re-tweeted by another Bueckers fan who wrote:

"She actually plays like a Gorilla."

This, however, didn't sit right with WNBA fans, as one of them called out these commentators.

"Praying for arike, paige fans are so nasty 💔💔💔💔💔💔" she wrote.

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Regardless, Bueckers' fans continued to pour out their frustration towards Ogunbowale, as they blamed her for the team's defeat.

"Arike is a selfish ball hog, wrote a fan."

"I just know they all shittalked about the game and especially about Arike being so fuckin selfish," replied another.

Despite the atrocious comments, other fans bonded together to show support for Arike Ogunbowale.

"@Arike_O stay strong. Keep on doing what you do. Love your game! nevermind these Paige stans," empathized a fan.

"Paige fans aren't a fanbase. That's a deranged cult," wrote another.

Some Bueckers fans commented on the negativity directed at Ogunbowale, indicating that not the entire fan base shared these sentiments. Conversely, a few Arike fans expressed empathy towards Ogunbowale but also understood why some might feel frustrated.

"All of Paige's fans? No. It’s not all of Paige’s fans. You all need to stop lumping everyone together. That’s discrimination," explained a fan.

"I love Arike... she does need to improve her efficiency a bit, though," she wrote.

Paige Bueckers leads her team in scoring as Arike Ogunbowale's dismal shooting costs the Dallas Wings

The Dallas Wings hosted the Seattle Storm at the College Park Center and were handed their second loss of the season. Losing to last year's finalist, the Minnesota Lynx, in their first game, the Wings were delivered a similar fate on Monday.

Despite the loss, Paige Bueckers' performance on the night was impressive as she led her team in scoring. The No.1 pick recorded 19 points, 8 assists and 5 rebounds, as her team succumbed to a 79-71 defeat.

On the other hand, her partner Arike Ogunbowale had a night to forget due to her dismal shooting form. She, similar to Bueckers, attempted 14 field goal attempts but only converted two of those. Additionally, she shot eight times from beyond the arc, making only one.

About the author

Arian Kashyap is a basketball journalist at Sportskeeda with over two years of experience at Essentially Sports and Spice Bite and a Bachelor's in Physical Education and Sports Sciences.

Arian's favorite team is the Miami Heat and it’s mainly down to Dwyane Wade being his favorite player of all time. Arian loved how explosive Wade was as a player and he had all the attributes, whether that be shooting, defending or passing. Arian really liked how he won titles both with and without a dynasty behind him.

Arian has also worked with Bhaichung Bhutia Football Schools and was the manager for a Delhi-based women’s team called Garwhal Untied. Garwhal won the Delhi league and were runners-up during his tenure.

Arian has judged essay writing competitions for the Commonwealth Students Welfare Group of India in 2023 and was a part of the U-14 team for the Bhaichung Bhutia Football Schools academy that qualified for the AIFF Round in 2023.

When not working or watching sports, Arian likes riding his motorcycle and reading.

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Edited by Victor R. Lopez M.