‘Our Spacing and Ball Movement Are Encouraging’: Arike Ogunbowale Sidelined With Knee Tendinitis as Dallas Wings Offense Surges
The Dallas Wings announced Tuesday that guard Arike Ogunbowale, a four-time All-Star, has been diagnosed with tendinitis in her right knee and will remain sidelined while being re-evaluated in the coming weeks. Ogunbowale, who has averaged 15.5 points, 4.1 assists, and 2.5 rebounds in 29 games this season, has been out recently while managing the injury.
The update came just hours after the team revealed that center Li Yueru will miss the rest of the 2025 season with a left ACL sprain suffered Aug. 15 against the Los Angeles Sparks. Yueru was at practice on Tuesday in Los Angeles, working lightly on resistance bands and an exercise bike while wearing a brace on her knee. Since joining Dallas in June, she has averaged 7.6 points and 6.0 rebounds in 21 games.
Offensive Flow Picking Up Despite Arike Ogunbowale’s Injury
Despite losing two key pieces, the Wings’ offense has taken a noticeable step forward in recent weeks. Dallas has recorded consecutive games with 38 made field goals, something only four teams in league history have done three games in a row. The Wings also piled up 58 assists over their last two contests, the third-best two-game total by any team this season.
Haley Jones said losing Ogunbowale changes the geometry of the floor, since defenses typically load up on her. Without her, Dallas has leaned into spacing, ball movement, and collective aggression to create offense.
“Arike is an amazing scorer, playmaker, all the things,” Jones detailed to DallasHoopsJournal.com before the Wings’ road win over the Fever on August 12. “And so not only is it with her having the ball in her hands and what she’s able to do, but also when she does have the ball in her hands, she still brings so much help towards her. She’s still such an area of impact for the other team to focus on. So we have to really work on our off actions, keeping the floor spaced, being more aggressive. The rest of us are going to need to step up. I know that we all will. And we’ll still have her vocal leadership from the bench. She’s going to be talking to all of us, telling us what she sees. So she’ll be in a different role tonight, but I know she’s going to take it in stride and be great.”
Head coach Chris Koclanes said the process has been encouraging. He pointed out that the Wings’ recent ball movement has created a balanced attack, allowing multiple players to contribute and keeping defenses from loading up on a single scorer.
“The offense looked great,” Koclanes told DallasHoopsJournal.com. “We pushed pace, moved the ball side to side, and exploited mismatches. When they were in drops, we screened well and got into the paint. When they switched, we attacked. We didn’t hit from the arc or get to the line enough, but we made 38 field goals with 26 assists. Our spacing and ball movement are encouraging. Now we just need a defensive identity.”
Jones pointed to the quality of the shots being generated, saying the team has been executing within the flow of the offense and creating looks that should be sustainable. She emphasized that the Wings aren’t relying on isolation or difficult looks, but rather are working together to move the defense and take what’s available. That process, she added, has kept Dallas’ scoring at a level high enough to compete with anyone.
“I think we’re taking a lot of the right shots,” Jones told DallasHoopsJournal.com. “We’re moving the ball. Curt talked about it—typically W teams make 20 to 32 field goals. We’re making 39, 40 a game. The quality is there. We’re scoring enough points to win—it’s just our defense that’s letting us down.”
Paige Bueckers added that the Wings’ offensive rhythm has been built on their willingness to move the ball and trust each other. She pointed out that Dallas’ high assist rate has reflected the team’s commitment to extra passes and attacking within the flow, not just relying on one-on-one play. For her, the next step is pairing that unselfishness with more paint touches, free throws, and consistent three-point aggression.
“The way we’re moving the ball and sharing the ball,” Bueckers emphasized to DallasHoopsJournal.com. “Our assist percentage on made field goals has been really good. We need to keep locking in defensively. Offensively, we’re scoring enough. We could get to the line more and get more paint touches, and we also want to shoot the three a little bit better by being more aggressive.”
Maddy Siegrist has been central to that production. After missing 18 games midseason, she has averaged 16.2 points over her last six outings and scored a career-high 23 points against Las Vegas on Sunday. Beyond the numbers, her efficiency and versatility have stood out — working from the mid-post, spotting up on the perimeter, and attacking mismatches inside. Her ability to score in different ways has given Dallas a consistent interior option while also stretching defenses, a balance that has opened driving lanes for guards and created rhythm in the halfcourt.
“I love that she’s being aggressive,” Koclanes said to DallasHoopsJournal.com. “With our spacing, she finds mismatches whether she’s at the three or the four. She’s extremely efficient with that turnaround shot—it’s tough to guard. She gives us an inside presence and a scoring punch. Her energy and leadership are so valuable for our young group.”
Defensive Cracks Still Showing for Dallas Wings
The Wings’ offensive rhythm has not masked their defensive lapses. Opponents are shooting 44.8% from three in August, the highest mark in the league. On Sunday, Las Vegas hit 18 threes — a franchise record — by capitalizing on Dallas’ breakdowns at the point of attack. When A’ja Wilson drew extra defenders inside, the Aces swung the ball to open shooters, and the Wings’ late rotations left them scrambling to recover.
“It all stems from one-on-one defense—can you keep people in front?” Koclanes detailed to DallasHoopsJournal.com. “If you can, the help gets out to the arc. With A’ja Wilson being so good one-on-one, she draws help, and then there are kick-outs. We’ve got to be better one-on-one. At the point of attack, our ball screen coverage slipped, creating space. We need to be more disruptive in any coverage we’re in. Right now, we’re very one-dimensional defensively. Players are too good to leave anyone on an island.”
He also emphasized that better communication is crucial. Against Las Vegas, Dallas often found itself scrambling after late switches or missed calls on screens, which left shooters wide open on the perimeter. Koclanes said those breakdowns weren’t always about scheme, but about players recognizing actions earlier and talking through coverages in real time. With a young roster still learning to lead vocally, he stressed that the Wings need multiple voices to emerge on the defensive end.
“Just communication,” Koclanes told DallasHoopsJournal.com. “I think a lot of our problems stem from late communication or lack of communication. When you have a young team, there’s not really one dominant voice. I’d say Myisha is probably our most dominant voice coming off the bench, but we need other people to speak. If we can identify early and communicate earlier, that gives us a better chance to execute. So earlier identification and more physicality—those are the keys to eliminate some of that slippage at the point of attack.”
Jones said the breakdowns were easy to spot on film. She pointed out that Dallas wasn’t disciplined enough in its coverages against Las Vegas, which forced the Wings into constant rotations and left the Aces with clean looks from deep. Kierstan Bell in particular took advantage, knocking down six of seven attempts from beyond the arc as Dallas struggled to close out.
“We were scrambling way too much,” Jones mentioned to DallasHoopsJournal.com. “They were making the extra pass, hitting open shots. Kierstan Bell went 6-for-7 from three — that’s exactly what she wants to do. We have to be better in our coverages, whether it’s switching or being up on screens. Right now, we’re not disciplined enough, and it’s costing us.”
Bueckers said the team must pay closer attention to high-value shots. While Dallas limited Las Vegas’ paint production for stretches, the Aces simply shifted their damage to the perimeter. Bueckers noted that giving up that volume of threes undercut any progress the Wings made inside, and emphasized that discipline at the point of attack has to improve to prevent those kinds of breakdowns.
“Limiting free throw attempts and limiting threes,” Bueckers described to DallasHoopsJournal.com. “We did a decent job of keeping them out of the paint, but that was because they got too many threes. We need to keep people in front so we’re not in constant rotations and scrambles. We just have to pay more attention to the three-point line.”
Practice Emphasis Ahead of Los Angeles Sparks Rematch
At Tuesday’s practice at USC, the Wings drilled in on the areas they believe can swing Wednesday’s game against Los Angeles.
The Wings’ defensive concerns were on display in last week’s 97-96 loss to the Sparks at College Park Center. Dallas erased a double-digit deficit in the fourth quarter, but breakdowns in the third proved costly when Los Angeles went on a 22-9 run fueled by Julie Allemand’s 10 points and four steals. Kelsey Plum and Dearica Hamby combined for 48 points, and though Paige Bueckers poured in 29 to keep Dallas within striking distance, the late rally fell short.
“I think the end of the game when we fall back, when we had our intensity that we wanted… that is the standard we want to hold each other up to,” Geiselsöder explained to DallasHoopsJournal.com. “There were some positive ways to attack them, and I think we just need to consistently do that during the 40 minutes and also adapt when they adapt.”
Hines-Allen said defensive execution is key. She explained that Dallas can’t afford the stretches of careless play that have led to runs for opponents, pointing to both live-ball turnovers and lapses in rebounding technique. Against the Sparks, those mistakes fueled transition buckets and opened the paint for second-chance looks. Hines-Allen stressed that with the team now playing smaller lineups, every player has to commit to the details — boxing out, making contact, and finishing possessions.
She added that rebounding details are especially important with the team now playing smaller lineups. Without Yueru anchoring the paint, she said, every player must take on the responsibility of finishing possessions.
“I think it’s the little things,” Hines-Allen emphasized to DallasHoopsJournal.com. “Going back to when we first pick up a ball, it’s about how to box out—checking before you just go and try to get the rebound. Also, just holding up. Like you said, they’re big in size, so it’s about making a dent. And again, I feel like across the board we’re all the same size when we do go big, or small, whatever you want to call it. So it’s about holding them up, second efforts, and focusing on those small little details.”
What’s Next
The Wings (9–26) close their West Coast trip against the Los Angeles Sparks (16–18) on Wednesday at Crypto.com Arena. The game tips off at 9 p.m. CT and will air locally on KFAA29 and stream on WNBA League Pass.
Dallas and Los Angeles met last Friday in Arlington, with the Sparks edging out a 97–96 victory. Paige Bueckers scored a game-high 29 points in that matchup. The teams will meet once more this season in Los Angeles on Sept. 7.
More Dallas Wings News & WNBA Rumors
- WNBA News: Dallas Wings’ Li Yueru Out for Season With ACL Sprain; Team Adjusts Ahead of Los Angeles Sparks Rematch
- WNBA News: “Maddy’s a Bucket”: Maddy Siegrist Emerging as Key Scorer for Dallas Wings, Posts Career Night Against Las Vegas Aces
- WNBA News: “We’re Very One-Dimensional”: Dallas Wings Seek More Defensive Disruption After Loss Against Las Vegas Aces
- WNBA News: “We’ve Got to Be Better Defensively”: Dallas Wings Overwhelmed by Las Vegas Aces’ 18 Threes, A’ja Wilson in Loss
- WNBA News: “I Saw That Dog in Her Today”: Paige Bueckers Shines but Dallas Wings’ Late Rally Falls Short vs. Los Angeles Sparks
- WNBA News: “Paige Will Be a Unifier”: Curt Miller Details Dallas Wings’ Roster Plan Around Paige Bueckers
