WNBA star Arike Ogunbowale ejected for soccer instincts
ARLINGTON, Texas (BVM) 鈥� Arike Ogunbowale is one of the young stars of the WNBA, but Sunday afternoon at College Park Center, taking on the Seattle Storm, the Dallas Wings鈥� guard did not get a star call or a home call from the referee.聽
A heave before the halftime buzzer ricocheted off the backboard heading Ogunbowale鈥檚 way and she stuck her foot out to stop it. The result of this innocent act? A prompt ejection from the game by the officials.
arike ejection
— jack maloney (@jackmaloneycbs)
Regardless of intent, there wasn鈥檛 really anything the refs could do differently. Per , “kicking or throwing a ball with force which enters the stands is an automatic ejection.”
Ogunbowale would finish the day early after just 15 minutes of action scoring only two points. She now averages 17.5 points, good for the league鈥檚 ninth-best scoring mark this season.
The fourth-year pro out of Notre Dame was before she gave it all up to focus on basketball in high school. Ogunbowale won four Wisconsin State Cup championships with FC Milwaukee (2009) and Lake Country United (2010-12).聽
While it鈥檚 been nearly a decade since she took the pitch competitively, Ogunbowale has never been able to shake her soccer instincts even on the hardwood.
鈥淚f you know me you know I was a soccer player first,鈥� during the game following her ejection. 鈥淟iterally every practice and game I stop the basketball with my feet, pass it to my teammates with my feet etc. Ball comes at me fast I always stop the ball with my feet it鈥檚 just my first instinct.
鈥淚 was in NO WAY trying to kick the ball. The half was over I tried to control the ball with my feet like I always do if the ball comes @ me fast. To be ejected for something like this is wild. From here on out I鈥檒l try to remember WNBA refs aren鈥檛 fans of soccer players. #GoWings鈥�
Literally was only trying to control the ball with my feet like I always do.
— Arike Ogunbowale (@Arike_O)
Missing their offensive leader in Ogunbowale, the Wings (6-7) suffered their third straight loss falling to the Storm (8-5), 84-79.聽
