A misdemeanor battery case against Dallas Wings guard Arike Ogunbowale has been marked closed, according to court filings obtained by The Athletic on Wednesday.
Ogunbowale was arrested in March for allegedly punching a man outside a Miami nightclub just hours after winning an Unrivaled championship with Mist BC. According to the court documents, the case was dropped nolle pros, which means the prosecutor no longer wished to pursue criminal charges. The closing judge was Betsy Alvarez-Zane.
The incident occurred at 4:22 a.m. on March 5 outside the nightclub E11even, according to the police report. Ogunbowale, a four-time WNBA All-Star, was being escorted out of the club as a result of an unrelated altercation when she allegedly punched a man with a closed fist, causing him to fall to the ground. She was arrested and charged with misdemeanor battery.
Police said footage captured at the scene confirmed the victim’s account. Ogunbowale was taken into custody without incident.
“We are pleased that the State Attorney’s Office has exercised its discretion and elected not to move forward with this matter,” Ogunbowale’s attorney, Mitch Schuster of Meister Seelig & Schuster, said in a statement. “Ms. Ogunbowale is a person of outstanding character, and we are excited that these charges have been dismissed so she can resume her focus on her professional career.”
This was Ogunbowale’s second season with Unrivaled. She played in the 3-on-3 league’s inaugural season with Vinyl BC. She was selected with the fifth pick in the 2019 WNBA Draft by the Wings. Ogunbowale re-signed with Dallas in April on a multiyear deal.
