Arike Ogunbowale

[mbr33ct]

Arike Ogunbowale is the most fun rookie in the WNBA right now

The Notre Dame phenom has become the WNBA’s hottest rookie — and potential Rookie of the Year.

www.sbnation.com

Since the All-Star Break, Ogunbowale leads all players in scoring with 24.6 points a game on 44 percent shooting. The point guard, who is playing that position for the first time in her career as a WNBA starter, is averaging four assists a game in the second half of the season — mostly via quietly absurd one-handed passes. She became the first rookie with seven consecutive 20-point games, and then she became the first rookie with three consecutive 30-point games. Both streaks are active.

Half way through the first quarter, AO has all the Wings points (4).

AO finishes the game with her fourth consecutive 30-plus performance in a Wings loss. She ties Maya Moore for most consecutive 30 point games in a row

No doubt Agler has given Arike the green light to shoot, especially in the last four games. In the Wings last four games (3 losses and 1 win) Arike shot 43-94 (FGM-A) an average of 23.5 shots per game. She has increased her FGA/gm from 15.6 to 16.6 and taken over 1/3 (35%) of total team attempts (268). The Wings are not playing for the playoffs, it seems getting Arike the ROY award is the next best thing.

 

[DaBball]

@CocoHusky said it best:

“[Agler] is coaching a professional team where [his] job depends on winning.”

If he thought limiting Arike’s attempts from the field would help him win more games, he would do so, but obviously he doesn’t.

 

[WestCoastPup]

I thinking … green lighting AO shooting brings a buzz around the team and puts bottoms in the seats. EDD said she's "fun to watch", so maybe they're building a fan base around AO.

 

[Shades]

@CocoHusky said it best:

“[Agler] is coaching a professional team where [his] job depends on winning.”

If he thought limiting Arike’s attempts from the field would help him win more games, he would do so, but obviously he doesn’t.

There came a point in the season where it became glaringly obvious it wasn’t in the cards for the team this season. The only thing left to win was an individual award. Have you seen how important this award is to the fans in social media? Ogunbowale winning ROY would be comparable to Dallas winning a championship. So, it would seem that’s what’s happening here.

 

[Dillon77]

Ogunbowale can overpower her defender and use her body as a weapon to get separation. She’s fast too with incredibly quick moves with the ball. Has everything but efficiency and that’s been getting better.

Picking up on two of your points

- Power: Ogunbowale was a soccer player of note in Wisconsin. According to classmates of mine that have seen her play, she was known for her runs (with the ball) right at defenders (when the opposition was playing man to man) or through pinching or zone sets. No surprisingly, it was very difficult to separate her from the ball, where her (relatively) low center of gravity helped her, as did her strength.

- Speed. Kara Lawson has brought this up on numerous occasions. Ogunbowale is a lot faster in person than people expect. It's one thing to see her turn the corner from the wing on tape, and quite another to have it happen to you on court. Now the WNBA is a lot faster than even the top NCAA games, but Ogunbowale is using that speed and power to get to and through the lane...and/or to the foul line.

 

[azfan]

Of the three top rookies this year AO has a charisma or a attitude it seems made for primetime

 

[Shades]

 

[CL82]

There came a point in the season where it became glaringly obvious it wasn’t in the cards for the team this season. The only thing left to win was an individual award. Have you seen how important this award is to the fans in social media? Ogunbowale winning ROY would be comparable to Dallas winning a championship. So, it would seem that’s what’s happening here.

When my daughter was playing AAU her mom told her if she scored x points she could have a dog. She told her teammates who were feeding her like she was Lebron until she hit the mark. Kind feel like an analogous thing is going on with Arike now.

I'd love to see Napheesa win it but Arike has made a case for herself. We'll see.

 

[MilfordHusky]

I think it will be a close and interesting vote. Of course, I'm a Husky and Phee fan. Plus, I thought Arike displayed a punk attitude in at least 2 games her senior year (which affects my opinion, but not her ROY campaign). Arike was better than I expected this year, especially late in the season, when her efficiency improved. She has been out of control at times in her career, but she is FUN to watch. Tempo increases every time she touches the ball. It will be interesting to see how she and Skylar co-exist.

 

[azfan]

AO finishes second by 8 to 6 in the AP Rookie of the Year award voting. This article does an outstanding job of analyzing her game particularly with the issue of efficiency which has been raised on this thread frequently. Highly recommend.

WNBA Rookie of the Year: Napheesa Collier or Arike Ogunbowale? - Basketball Index

Breaking down the 2019 WNBA Rookie of the Year race between Minnesota Lynx forward Napheesa Collier and Dallas Wings guard Arike Ogunbowale.

www.bball-index.com

 

[JordyG]

AO finishes second by 8 to 6 in the AP Rookie of the Year award voting. This article does an outstanding job of analyzing her game particularly with the issue of efficiency which has been raised on this thread frequently. Highly recommend.

WNBA Rookie of the Year: Napheesa Collier or Arike Ogunbowale? - Basketball Index

Breaking down the 2019 WNBA Rookie of the Year race between Minnesota Lynx forward Napheesa Collier and Dallas Wings guard Arike Ogunbowale.

www.bball-index.com

The best break down of these two players as pros that I've seen, bar none.

 

[Dillon77]

AO finishes second by 8 to 6 in the AP Rookie of the Year award voting. This article does an outstanding job of analyzing her game particularly with the issue of efficiency which has been raised on this thread frequently. Highly recommend.

WNBA Rookie of the Year: Napheesa Collier or Arike Ogunbowale? - Basketball Index

Breaking down the 2019 WNBA Rookie of the Year race between Minnesota Lynx forward Napheesa Collier and Dallas Wings guard Arike Ogunbowale.

www.bball-index.com

The best break down of these two players as pros that I've seen, bar none.

The author-- Ben Dull -- certainly isn't and does an excellent job of taking us through what Napheesa and Arike ventured into and accomplished this season. Find yourself agreeing with virtually all aspects of the write-up, particularly the beginning and end: both of these two will continue to improve at the top of the league for quite some time.