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Dallas Wings' Arike Ogunbowale's Candid Take on Playing With Paige Bueckers

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Liz Lindain | Last updated Apr 28, 2025 5:37 PM ET

It's only the second day of training camp for the Dallas Wings, but team chemistry is already a major topic of conversation.

In a recent press conference, Wings veteran Arike Ogunbowale was asked about her friendship with new teammate and No. 1 overall draft pick Paige Bueckers. Ogunbowale, who is entering another standout season with the Wings, spoke warmly about their growing friendship and mutual respect, noting that building strong connections off the court is just as important as developing chemistry on it.

“It’s been two good days; we’ve been playing well together," said Ogunbowale to sports journalist Joey Mistretta. "I think there’s been a lot of good combinations, her and myself, her and other people, me and other people. So it’s been good.”

Bueckers seems to be making great friendships with other teammates as well, especially with veteran guard DiJonai Carrington. She was seen briefly on an Instagram story posted by Carrington on Monday morning, and they had a funny X interaction on the Dallas Wings account yesterday.

As the rookie point guard preps for her first WNBA season, she seems to be relying a lot on her teammates and coaches for support.

"Learning a new offense, being a leader on the court, being the quarterback on the court for the offense. Knowing what to call, when to call it. I did some of that in college, I did more of it in high school," Bueckers told Mistretta in a separate interview. "But just leaning on the coaching staff for help and questions. Communicating with teammates. Having a great level of communication on the floor obviously helps a lot.”

Bueckers' first professional basketball game will take place at the University of Notre Dame, Ogunbowale's alma mater, against the Las Vegas Aces on May 2. Ogunbowale played for the Fighting Irish from 2015 to 2019 and was instrumental in Notre Dame's 2018 national championship run. When Bueckers was asked what she expects the environment to be like, she hopes for an amazing turnout.

"I know at Notre Dame, they love their women's basketball," the 22-year-old says with a smile. "For Arike, Jewell (Loyd) and Jackie (Young) ... it's a Notre Dame alum game. It's a great environment and they'll be a great turnout there."

I asked Paige Bueckers about playing her first professional game at a college campus, as the Wings will begin the preseason at Notre Dame.#WingsUp pic.twitter.com/lTSwoXAeMc
— Joey Mistretta (@JoeyMistretta_) April 28, 2025

As training camps continue over the next three weeks, fans are excited to watch Bueckers build new friendships and chemistry with her teammates, both on and off the court.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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