DHJ Quick Take: Arike Ogunbowale Keeps the Wings’ Focus Day by Day
Even with the Dallas Wings off to their best start since 2016, Arike Ogunbowale is preaching a day-by-day approach ahead of Friday’s Commissioner’s Cup game at the Los Angeles Sparks.
- The Mindset: Ogunbowale frames the season as a 44-game grind and focuses on getting better than the game before.
- The Start: Dallas is 6-3, its best nine-game start since moving to North Texas in 2016, with the league’s second-best net rating (plus-8.0).
- The Respect: Ogunbowale says the Sparks’ veterans give them threats from all angles.
- The Stakes: A win would be the Wings’ first road victory over the Sparks since May 2024.
LOS ANGELES — Even with the Dallas Wings off to their best start in years, Arike Ogunbowale is keeping the focus narrow. The four-time All-Star, who set the franchise rookie scoring record in 2019, has seen plenty of lean years in Dallas and is treating the hot start with caution.
“I don’t think anybody in the league is where they’re going to be. It’s a 44-game season,” Ogunbowale said. “We’re just focused on day by day, and as long as we get better from the game before, that’s a success in our eyes.”
Arike Ogunbowale’s Day-by-Day Mindset
The Wings sit at 6-3, their best nine-game start since the franchise moved to North Texas in 2016, and own the league’s second-best net rating at plus-8.0. Ogunbowale remains a focal point of the attack alongside Bueckers, who has emerged as the team’s leading scorer.
They have won three straight, including Monday’s 79-56 rout of Seattle, yet Ogunbowale said the approach stays the same no matter the record.
“Game by game, practice by practice, not really looking at the big picture too much, just looking at it step by step,” Ogunbowale said.
Respect for a Veteran Sparks Roster
Los Angeles sits at 4-5 and expects leading scorer Kelsey Plum back from an ankle injury, with Rae Burrell coming off a career-high 22 points. Ogunbowale said the Sparks’ veterans make them dangerous.
“They just have threats from all angles, and they know their role,” Ogunbowale said. “They have a great team right now, and we’re definitely not taking them lightly. They’ve been playing well together.”
Ogunbowale pointed to the Sparks’ established perimeter group.
“Erica and Ariel, they’ve been doing consistently the same thing every year. Good basketball IQ,” Ogunbowale said. “Obviously Nneka, a very efficient player.”
Dallas is also chasing its first road win over the Sparks since May 26, 2024, with Los Angeles having taken seven of the last 10 meetings. Ogunbowale, who has been part of every stage of the franchise’s climb, said staying even-keeled is what keeps the group grounded.
Dallas brings the WNBA’s most efficient offense into the matchup, but Ogunbowale is intent on treating it as one game of 44.
The Wings visit the Sparks on Friday at Crypto.com Arena with tip-off set for 9 p.m. CT on ION.
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