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Senior, G, 5’8, Notre Dame

College Stats in 2018-19 (as of Feb. 20, 2019):

29 games, 32.7 MPG, 21.3 PPG, 5.0 RPG, 4.1 APG, 1.9 SPG, 45.5 FG%, 32.9 3P%, 78.6 FT%

Where she’ll go:

Ogunbowale is a lock to be a top-10 pick and we could see her go in the top five.

The Rundown:

Arike Ogunobowale can put the ball in the hoop. That was on display in last year’s Final Four when she helped Notre Dame take down UConn and Mississippi State to lead the Fighting Irish to a National Championship.

She’s going to be able to put up points in the WNBA. This we know. She has an uncanny ability to score. The floor for her at the next level is high based on this reason alone. She’s averaged 20 or more points over the last two seasons and while her shooting percentages haven’t been super efficient, they certainly aren’t innefficient.

Her 31 3-point percentage might have you worried, but she’s two years removed from shooting 44.2 percent from deep on 3.5 attempts per game. She’ll be fine, especially when you consider she likely won’t be the No. 1 offensive option as rookie. Imagine her playing off someone like Sylvia Fowles – someone who demands a double team. Their talents could benefit each other.

She’s a solid rebounder for her size. You’d like to see her assist number increase given how much she has the ball. She has the “Mamba Mentality” for better or worse. Tough shots that go in look great, but that doesn’t always mean they are great shots to take. It’s tough to argue with her talent, though. How do you tell her not to shoot when she’s made so many big baskets?

She’s sneaky quick offensively, especially in transition. When you combine that with her strength, watch out. She’s a willing passer on fast breaks, which is enouraging to see. But she can also score at all three levels. Her bread and butter, much like Seimone Augustus, is the pull-up midrange two-pointer. We’ve seen the baskteball world turn on that shot, but if you can hit it at a 50-percent clip, it’s hard to complain much.

So, how would she fit on the Lynx?

Without Maya Moore for 2019, the Lynx will need a perimeter scorer. And considering Ogunbowale falls to Minnesota in more than a few mock drafts, this seems like a perfect fit. The biggest challenge for her will be making sure she brings the defensive intensity that Cheryl Reeve demands. A player can have all the offensive talent in the world, but if they don’t show effort defensively, that’s not a good combination on a Reeve-coached team.

Those things generally figure themselves out, though, especially with players like Ogunbowale who have continued to rise to the occassion time after time throughout her career.

Check out the rest of our prospect profiles, plus more Lynx-related draft coverage at lynxbasketball.com’s Draft Central.

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