Potential Valkyries WNBA Trade Target Comes off the Board
The Golden State Valkyries are in their inaugural season as a WNBA franchise. While this comes with an inherent focus on longterm roster building, Golden State is also in position to make a serious playoff bid.
Entering Monday, the Valkyries are 14-14 which is good for the eighth and finWNBA postseason spot. Because of this, the Valkyries have been floated as potential buyers ahead of Thursday’s trade deadline.
One name the Valkyries were linked to is Dallas Wings star Arike Ogunbowale.
Dallas Wings Guard Named Potential Valkyries Trade Target
Last month, Marisa Ingemi of the San Francisco Chronicle named Ogunbowale a player who could make sense for the Valkyries. While her analysis was more hypothetical in nature, as opposed to any reporting on potential Valkyries-Wings discussions, the rationale made sense.
“Dallas guard Arike Ogunbowale, who is averaging 15.7 points on 34.6% from the field and 30.5% 3-point shooting, could be someone the Wings are willing to part with,” Ingemi wrote. “The Valkyries could fit her $249,032 cap hit for the rest of the season. The Wings (6-17) have already been active, trading NaLyssa Smith to Las Vegas, but Ogunbowale is in her seventh season with Dallas and has become the face of the franchise.”
Dallas Wings Shut Down Arike Ogunbowale Trade
While Ogunbowale has been a popular name in WNBA trade rumors, it was reported on Monday by Melissa Triebwasser of Winsidr that Dallas’ star guard will not be moved.
“I can also confirm that Arike Ogunbowale was not and will not be shopped before the deadline,” she wrote on X.”She will be a free agent following this season but the Wings are hopeful she will remain in Dallas long term.”
This report was also confirmed by Wings beat writer Joey Mistretta of ClutchPoints.
I can also confirm that Arike Ogunbowale was not and will not be shopped before the deadline.
— Melissa Triebwasser (@TheCoachMelissa) August 4, 2025
She will be a free agent following this season but the Wings are hopeful she will remain in Dallas long term. #wingsup #wnba @Winsidr
While she is amid a down year, Ogunbowale is a four-time WNBA All-Star who owns averages of 15.7 points and 4.3 assists in 26 games this season. She has finished top-10 in MVP voting five times in her first six WNBA seasons.
Despite Dallas being amid a rebuild around rookie guard Paige Bueckers, it seems the Wings believe Ogunbowale still fits their longterm vision — which is why she is no long on the board for a team like Golden State to pursue. In fact, it seems she may never have truly been available in the first place, contrary to some reports.
If the Valkyries want to bolster their roster, they will have to look elsewhere.
Joey Linn is a credentialed writer covering the NBA and WNBA for On SI. Covering the LA Clippers independently in 2018, then for Fansided and 213Hoops from 2019-2021, Joey joined On SI to cover the Clippers after the 2020-21 season. Graduating from Biola University in 2022 with a Communication Studies degree, Joey served as Biola's play-by-play announcer for their basketball, baseball, softball, and soccer teams. Joey's work on Biola's broadcasts and in the classroom earned him the Outstanding Communication Studies Student of the year award in 2022. Joey covers the NBA full-time, primarily serving as a Clippers beat writer.