Battery Charge Against Arike Ogunbowale Moves Forward

Ogunbowale was accused of starting a physical clash with a member of the security staff at a nightclub. The staff member was reportedly trying to escort Ogunbowale out of the establishment as part of an “unrelated altercation,” as stated by the victim.

Ogunbowale was taken into custody without incident after the responding officer reviewed security camera footage and confirmed the victim’s statements.

According to Ogunbowale’s arrest report from the March 5 incident, a copy of which was obtained by USA Today Sports, the responding officer was working an extra duty detail at E11EVAN, a nightclub in Miami.

This report comes just a day after the Dallas Wings extended a core qualifying offer to the 29-year-old.

Arike Ogunbowale Receives a Core Qualifying Offer from the Dallas Wings

Dallas selected Ogunbowale with the No. 5 overall pick in the 2019 WNBA Draft after her time at Notre Dame. She’s spent her entire league career with the team and is a four-time All-Star and three-time All-WNBA selection.

The core qualifying offer is a logical step for the franchise, as the 29-year-old enters her eighth WNBA season.

Although her career-low totals came last season due to injury, she still averaged 15.5 points, 2.5 rebounds, 4.1 assists, and 1.3 steals per game.

Under the WNBA’s new CBA, the year-one maximum rose to $1.4 million, and the salary cap increased to $7 million in 2026, up from $1.5 million in 2025.

If a player receives a core designation, they can only sign or negotiate a contract during free agency with the team that designated them, in Ogunbowale’s case, Dallas.

How do you think the Dallas Wings should handle this situation?