Arike Ogunbowale is unsure about recruiting with Paige Bueckers to bring new talent to the Wings

Jeremy Beren

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Arike Ogunbowale is unsure about recruiting with Paige Bueckers to bring new talent to the Wings image

Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images

The second season of Unrivaled begins in less than three weeks, and anticipation is building as the 3-on-3 league welcomes two new teams and a host of new players to its ranks.

Last year, Unrivaled's inaugural season proved noteworthy not just for the basketball on display, but how league headquarters in Miami became a hotbed for WNBA free-agents-to-be as they pondered their next moves.

For example, Brittney Griner's stunning plan to leave the Phoenix Mercury and join the Atlanta Dream last winter was hatched at Unrivaled alongside Allisha Gray and Rhyne Howard -- her future Dream teammates. In turn, Mercury star Kahleah Copper helped recruit Satou Sabally and Alyssa Thomas to Phoenix, and that trio reached the WNBA Finals just a few months ago.

The upcoming free agent class -- which counts almost every WNBA player not on a rookie contract -- will leave a team like the Dallas Wings with plenty of options, as they seek to add talent around Rookie of the Year Paige Bueckers.

However, Arike Ogunbowale -- the Wings' all-time leading scorer, and one of many pending free agents -- is undecided on whether she will be doing any recruiting on Dallas' behalf.

"Player to player wise, I like to mind my business. So, I'm not gonna be in anybody's face, asking them what they're doing. Whatever people do is whatever people do," Ogunbowale said Tuesday at Unrivaled media availability. "Once I figure out (the) CBA and what team I'll be on and what team I'm going to sign with, then maybe I'll do some talking, but I'mma mind my business."

Ogunbowale's future in Dallas has been uncertain for a while.

While the franchise has expressed interest in retaining her for 2026, Ogunbowale is coming off the worst season of her career, in which she averaged 15.5 points and shot 36 percent from the field.

In addition, the possibility of a work stoppage amid stalled collective bargaining negotiations is weighing on everyone, and the 2026 season could be shortened if the league and the players' union don't come to an agreement soon.

Ogunbowale may well choose to wait and see how CBA negotiations turn out, but the chance is growing that if she lobbies other free agents to join her, they may not be joining her in Dallas.

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Senior Editor