Paige Bueckers dominates Wings teammate Arike Ogunbowale in Unrivaled 1-on-1 matchup, advances to quarterfinals

DALLAS — Paige Bueckers stole the show at the Unrivaled 1-on-1 Tournament, pulling off a headline-worthy upset against her Dallas Wings teammate, Arike Ogunbowale.

Bueckers cruised to a 12–5 win over the four-time WNBA All-Star, punching her ticket to the quarterfinals of the Unrivaled competition. With two Wings stars going head-to-head, the matchup was easily one of the most buzzed-about games of the second round, and Bueckers made sure it lived up to the hype.

Bueckers, the No. 1 seed entering the tournament, has been one of the standout performers in Unrivaled’s 1-on-1 bracket after cruising through her first-round matchup against Kate Martin with a 12–5 victory. Her crisp footwork, quick reads off the dribble and ability to adapt under pressure have translated effortlessly to the one-on-one stage.

Ogunbowale, seeded fourth, came in with considerable experience and a reputation as one of the toughest isolation scorers in the WNBA.

But on Friday night, she struggled to find rhythm against Bueckers’ tight defense and finished with just five points, which is a low total for the sharpshooter who has routinely been a leading scorer throughout her WNBA career. 

The victory sets up Bueckers for a quarterfinal clash against Chelsea Gray, who also advanced in commanding fashion earlier in the evening against her Las Vegas Aces teammate Jackie Young. 

The winner of Bueckers vs Gray will move one step closer to the event’s $200,000 top prize and the coveted title of Unrivaled’s best individual player. The overall winner of the 1-on-1 tournament will be crowned Saturday night.

Unrivaled’s 1-on-1 Tournament, now in its second year, has rapidly become one of the most compelling offseason events in women’s professional basketball.