In the midst of the controversy surrounding Caitlin Clark’s bodycheck by Chennedy Carter, Dallas Wings star Arike Ogunbowale has come out in defense of the WNBA’s physical style of play.
Ogunbowale, a three-time WNBA All-Star, told reporters after a game against the Las Vegas Aces that the league’s physicality is nothing new and that fans who are uncomfortable with it should “go watch golf.”
“Like, it’s gonna be physical so if you don’t want to go watch this go watch golf or something,” Ogunbowale said. “I mean, obviously that’s what I’ve been able to go against but I’ve seen it since I’ve been watching the WNBA since I was young, literally nothing new.”
The Notre Dame product went on to explain that physical play is just part of the game, no matter if it’s men’s or women’s basketball. “It’s basketball, it’s gonna be physical. We’re gonna compete, some people might get knocked down, some people bleed and that’s basketball.”
Ogunbowale’s comments come after Carter faced significant backlash for her hard foul on Clark, which some deemed excessive. The incident has sparked a wider discussion about the WNBA’s rising physicality and how it is covered in the media.
“I don’t really talk about media, but it just kind of annoys me how they make such a big deal about the physicality because I mean, obviously the new people, they might be like, ‘Oh, this is tough,’ but this is just what it’s been,” Ogunbowale said.
The WNBA has seen a surge in popularity this season, fueled by its exciting rookie class. However, the increased attention has also brought more scrutiny on the league’s physical style of play. Ogunbowale’s message to fans is clear — if you can’t handle the intensity, you might want to switch to a different sport.
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