The Dallas Wings suffered a major blow to their season this week as star guard Arike Ogunbowale and center Li Yueru will both be sidelined by knee injuries.
The team confirmed Tuesday that Ogunbowale, the Wings’ second-leading scorer, will miss time due to tendinitis in her right knee.
“Ogunbowale will remain sidelined and will be reevaluated in the coming weeks. Additional updates will be provided when appropriate,” wrote the Wings on social media.
Ogunbowale has been the centerpiece of the Wings’ offense since being drafted in 2019, though a disappointing season from the three-time All-Star has contributed to the Wings’ struggles this season.
Entering this week, Ogunbowale posted a career-low of just 15.5 points per game while shooting a career-worst of 3.64% from the field.
Despite the struggles this season, Ogunbowale remains one of the best players on the Wings roster, and finding a rhythm on the offensive side of the ball could be difficult for this team in her absence.
Meanwhile, Dallas announced on Monday that Li, who started 16 games this season and was a key presence in the paint, will miss the rest of 2025 after spraining her knee in practice.
This setback now ends what had been one of Li’s most impactful seasons in the WNBA after the 6-foot-7 center returned to the roster full-time from international play.
Li had been averaging a solid 6 points and 5.8 rebounds per game in just 20 minutes of court time per game across 22 total appearances, making her a solid depth piece for a Wings team that needs a defensive presence near the rim.
These injuries will mark a disappointing end to a season in which Dallas has been unable to find steady ground, with the team sitting at just 9-26 and poised for one of the top picks in the WNBA draft.
Although the playoffs are currently out of reach for this young Wings team, these struggles and misfortunes may reshape its trajectory.
Dallas is likely to land a draft selection in the top five of the 2025 WNBA Draft, which will allow the team to select another cornerstone piece to pair next to Ogunbowale and rookie guard Paige Bueckers.
Wings General Manager Curt Miller recently detailed the plans for growth for this franchise, noting that the young roster will be an advantage for the team moving forward.
“Now I really have to think about what the build looks like. We’ve been able to play with a very young group and get them true game-time experience and hardships. They’ll learn so much from what they’ve had to go through. You’ve got to go through hard before you can get to the other side of it,” he said, as previously reported by The Dallas Express.