Former NBA All-Star, Mavericks PG inspired Dallas Wings star Arike Ogunbowale

Dallas Wings star Arike Ogunbowale is thankful for attending the camp of a former NBA player to help hone her skills as a child.

Dallas Wings guard Arike Ogunbowale reacts against the Washington Mystics. / Chris Jones-Imagn Images

Dallas Wings guard Arike Ogunbowale has been playing basketball ever since childhood and it led her all the way to the WNBA.

Ogunbowale recently spoke with Dallas Hoops Journal reporter Grant Afseth about how attending former Dallas Mavericks point guard Devin Harris' basketball camps as a child shaped her game and how she wants to do the same for the local youth.

“Devin Harris — he played in the NBA, from Milwaukee — he used to always have a camp every year. A lot of me and my friends, guys and girls, would go up there. I can vividly remember just having a great time there,” Ogunbowale told Afseth. “And like I said, it’s just great now to be in that position where I can show up for kids and be that role model for them.”

READ MORE: The one reason Candace Parker can't place Paige Bueckers on All-WNBA First Team

Dallas Mavericks guard Devin Harris smiles prior to the game against the Memphis Grizzlies. / Matthew Emmons-Imagn Images

Wings inspired by youth camps

Harris had three stints with the Mavs from 2004-08, 2013-18 and 2018-19. It's neat to know that the Wings are built partially due to a Mavericks player's camp, but you never know when someone can be inspired.

Paige Bueckers also spoke about the importance of youth camps for her development.

“I kind of grew up going to Janet Karvonen camps in Minnesota,” Bueckers told Afseth. “Going to those camps, they were really eye-opening for me. I just wanted to win every single drill at camp, wanted to compete, wanted to be the best. That kind of sets the stage for what you want to be in the long term.

"Learning how to compete and win, and play with different players at camps, building your fundamentals and skills at a young age sets the foundation for what you want to look like and who you want to be as you get older. Gus Macker was a three-on-three league, like the Three For All, where it’s a different version of basketball than the five-on-five format, and it’s a lot of fun. And you’re just trying to win. Those are a couple of vivid ones that really shaped who I wanted to be.”

Now, Bueckers and Ogunbowale get the chance to pay it forward as they look to do the same for Dallas youth during the offseason.

READ MORE: Paige Bueckers joins icons in WNBA history after winning Rookie of the Year

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