WNBA Trade Rumors: Paige Bueckers' teammate Arike Ogunbowale's possible landing spots include Lynx

The WNBA season is in full swing, and with the All-Star break fast approaching, teams will soon begin to explore trades. One team that could be busy is the Dallas Wings, as a poor start has them looking like sellers rather than buyers at the August 7 deadline.

The Wings are likely to look to build around Paige Bueckers for the future, and her back-court partner, Arike Ogunbowale, could potentially be on the trading block. According to a report from Yahoo Sports, the Minnesota Lynx are a possible destination for Ogunbowale, who is in the final year of her three-year, $725,952 deal.

The former All-Star is a prime asset for Dallas, who could look to acquire draft capital and potentially a notable name in return. Minnesota has two first-round picks for 2026 and has a host of players on expiring contracts. Courtney Williams, Natisha Hiedeman, and Bridget Carleton all have expiring deals and could be a part of the trade.

However, both teams are very thin on the books and will need to formulate a strategic deal if they are to make a trade.

The Lynx are one of multiple potential landing spots for Ogunbowale, with the Golden State Valkyries and the Seattle Storm both enticing destinations in need of a strong guard.

The Valkyries do have a few assets, but do not possess any draft picks, making a trade between them a tricky affair. On the other hand, the Storm have a single first-round pick in 2026 but would possibly need to part ways with Skylar Diggins or Gabby Williams to make this trade possible.

With the Dallas Wings (5-13) most likely missing out on the playoffs, they are more likely to start thinking of a future, and that means picks to build around Paige Bueckers. With Arike Ogunbowale on an expiring deal, Dallas might decide to try and get draft capital in exchange for her before it is too late.

Arike Ogunbowale offers a hilarious perspective on the Dallas Wings' ceiling

The Dallas Wings have suffered a slow start to the season despite rebuilding extensively during the offseason. Selecting Paige Bueckers as the number one pick, they added the likes of DiJonai Carrington and NaLyssa Smith to bolster their roster, but have struggled since.

During an interview on Friday, Arike Ogunbowale was asked about the Wings' performances and their potential as a unit, to which she had a lively response.

"I don't think there is a ceiling. I think we've seen the floor but the ceiling, we haven't touched that yet," she joked.

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Arike Ogunbowale's comments stem from Dallas' rough start, losing 11 of their first 12 games. However, since then, the Wings have won four of six games and are hoping to have a strong second half to the season.

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 John Maxwell