Arike was born to Nigerian parents Yolanda and Gregory Ogunbowale on March 2, 1997, in Milwaukee, the United States.
The 27-year-old is the youngest of three children. The basketball star is of Yoruba descent and her name means “a child you treasure, cherish, pamper, and love” in the Yoruba language
Arike Ogunbowale, the American basketball player of Nigerian descent, was voted the most valuable player (MVP) of the 2024 WNBA all-star game following her team WNBA 117 – 109 victory over Team USA at Footprint Center, Phoenix, in the early hours of Sunday.
The 2024 WNBA All-Star Game came
WNBA pulled off the upset over Team
USA. Made up of All-Stars who didn’t
make the USA Women’s National Team, Team WNBA played with a chip on their shoulder and got the win.
Most eyes were on Caitlin Clark and Angel
Reese, who were playing on the same team for the first time in their careers. But it was Arike Ogunbowale who stole the show, setting an All-Star Game record with 34 points, all of which came in the second half.
Ogunbowale had zero points in the first half before posting a record 34 points in the second half of the keenly contested encounter against the Olympics-bound Team USA.
The Dallas Wings sharpshooter converted eight of 13 three-pointers en route to the MVP award; the second after claiming her first honour in 2021.
This dominant performance cemented her place in history as a two-time WNBA All-Star Game MVP, the third player to achieve this feat.
Her latest MVP award sees her join the trio of Lisa Leslie, Maya Moore, and Swin Cash as the only players with multiple MVPs in the all-star games.
Ogunbowale scored 21 points in the third quarter — which is the most points in a single quarter in WNBA all-star game history.
Unsurprisingly, she was named All-Star Game MVP, and Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes couldn’t help but notice.
Ogunbowale, who was left out of the USA women’s team for the Olympics, attributed her sterling performance to hard work.
Peoplesmind