Arike Ogunbowale being out with unspecified Achilles injury is ominous for Wings

Arike Ogunbowale has continued to carry the Dallas Wings on her back while chasing history. Monday may be a sign of things to come for the franchise after they ominously ruled out their star due to an unspecified Achilles injury.

Saturday night, the Wings' star finished the game with 11 points, five assists, and three rebounds while shooting an awful 2-of-15 from the floor. She played 35 minutes in the team's 85-67 loss against the Connecticut Sun.

Is Arike Ogunbowale injury cause for concern or just cautious?

Although there are no details regarding the injury, it's safe to assume that the team will be cautious. This season, Ogunbowale is averaging a career-high 38.8 minutes per game.

Dallas entered 2024 with a depleted roster as the team has been without Satou Sabally and Natasha Howard. Both players play a huge role in the team's game plan and without them, Ogunbowale has to take on the scoring load.

On the flip side, the Wings must be careful with how they move forward with her injury. The franchise has had issues with protecting its players in the past, (i.e. Skylar Diggins-Smith and Liz Cambage).

This season, Ogunbowale is averaging 24.9 points per game and is second in scoring behind A'ja Wilson (28 points). Both players are tied in usage per game (31.7) but the difference is around the supporting cast or lack thereof.

Achilles injuries can start minor but linger through time if not addressed properly. Dallas should use this time without their superstar to allow rookie Jacy Sheldon and Jaelyn Brown to get more reps in the backcourt.

Ogunbowale was not selected for the 2024 USA Women's Basketball team and was snubbed from the team. Last Thursday, she joined Shannon Sharpe's Night Cap Podcast and explained that she withdrew her name from the applicant pool.

With the All-Star game around the corner (July 19th -July 20th), it may not be a foregone conclusion that she plays. The Wings are set to take on the Minnesota Lynx tonight at 8:00 P.M.