Battery Charges Dropped Against WNBA Star Arike Ogunbowale

The Incident

The arrest occurred in the early morning hours of March 5 after she had been celebrating her team’s championship win in the Unrivaled 3-on-3 basketball league. According to police reports, the incident took place at the E11EVEN nightclub, where Ogunbowale allegedly struck a man - reported in some accounts to be a security worker - with a closed fist during an altercation. Authorities said the man was knocked to the ground, and surveillance footage reportedly supported the account.

Ogunbowale was charged with misdemeanor battery, taken into custody at around 4:20 a.m., and later released the same day on bond.

Fans of Ogunbowale were happy to hear that she's in the clear now, with many declaring that she never did anything wrong to begin with.

"Exactly cause she didn’t do anything wrong," one user responded on X.

"Good. Defending against a disgusting overstepping man who can’t handle rejection is not a crime. Stop male violence against women!!" wrote another.

"She was always innocent," a third wrote.

"This is good news. I knew she was just protecting her space. Now let’s celebrate and get ready for the upcoming season."

2025 was a comparatively down year for Ogunbowale in the WNBA. Her 15.5 points per game were the lowest of her career due to a career-worst year of shooting the ball.

But if her success in Unrivaled contributed anything, perhaps she'll begin the 2026 season with at least a little more confidence. And now she doesn't have any criminal charges hanging over her head either.