Arike Ogunbowale is no stranger to making a name for herself on the court, but the WNBA star’s gameday ‘fits have been getting just as much attention lately.
The Dallas Wings guard, 27, who was named MVP of the WNBA All-Star Game in July, has become an undeniable fashion star with her unique sense of style, which she often documents on social media for her hundreds of thousands of followers.
In an exclusive interview with Us Weekly, Ogunbowale explained how her emergence as a style superstar has been a long time coming.
“I’ve always liked fashion and it started with my mom,” Ogunbowale said. “She was definitely a color-coordinated person. She used to match me and her in the same outfits. My brothers would wear the same outfits. It definitely started young.”
Despite being one of the most recognizable names in the WNBA, however, Ogunbowale hasn’t let her status dictate the kinds of fashion choices she’s making.
“I’m cheap,” Ogunbowale said with a laugh. “So anything that’s not expensive at all, that’s definitely what I’m going to lean toward. My whole thing is wearing what I like, whether it’s expensive or not. Most of my stuff is average price.”
She continued, “Obviously, there are certain things, like if I want a designer shoe or something special. Or if it’s for All-Star, I might spend a little bit more money on that. But on the daily, my stuff is average. If it’s fifty dollars and it looks good, I’ll buy it.”
Keep reading for breakdowns of three of Ogunbowale’s recent signature looks.
WNBA All-Star Weekend – July 18
Before Ogunbowale took home MVP honors at the All-Star Game on July 20, she hit the orange carpet for the weekend’s festivities in Phoenix with the help of a fashionista friend.
“One of my homegirls, she had a brand called Todd Patrick, but she also styles on the side,” Ogunbowale explained. “Usually with the big events, I’ll get a stylist because it’s so stressful. But I like to say it’s a collaboration because I’m never wearing anything I don’t like.”
The All-Star Weekend look came together through a bit of trial and error.
“At first, with the jacket, we actually had some white pants, but they ended up not coming in,” Ogunbowale said. “I don’t know what happened with UPS. But we ended up going with the black pants and I liked that because it looked better.”
The shoes came from her own massive collection, which Ogunbowale estimated contains upwards of 500 different pairs.
Dallas Wings vs. Minnesota Lynx – June 27
For a home game against the Lynx in June, Ogunbowale rocked a shirt emblazoned with the image of Mars Blackmon, Spike Lee’s character from the 1986 movie She’s Gotta Have It.
“My friend made the shirt,” Ogunbowale said. “I had the shirt for a while and I was like, ‘I kinda want to wear this.’ So I just tried it on with different stuff. First, I had black [pants], but that felt too simple. So then I went with the washed, construction worker-type jeans. I think that looked good.”
Ogunbowale managed to extend the outfit’s aesthetic all the way to her feet — even if she was maybe the only person to know.
“The shirt, he made it look rough and burnt it at the bottom. I like the rough look. I had long boots under the jeans, but you can’t really see them,” Ogunbowale said. “And then with the bandana, it’s giving mechanic.”
Dallas Wings vs. Indiana Fever – July 17
For a match-up against Caitlin Clark and the Fever, Ogunbowale matched a purple knit hat with a jacket that worked as an optical illusion.
“The jacket’s dope,” Ogunbowale detailed. “There’s a zipper, but it’s flannel underneath that’s connected. That’s all one piece.”
As for the hat, Ogunbowale just decided to go for it.
“Usually I don’t go for purple-on-purple,” she admitted. “But it just looked good.”
Ogunbowale kept things “simple at the bottom” with jeans shorts and some Nike Air Force Ones.
“I love wearing white Forces, especially if I don’t have a shoe I want to wear,” she said. “White Forces and white socks always go together. I always keep a pair. Right now on hand, I probably have eight or nine pairs at the house. I need to wear a clean pair.”