This has not been an easy season for the Wings. Despite drafting UConn national champion Paige Bueckers at the No. 1 overall spot during this year's draft, the Wings have struggled and currently hover just above the Connecticut Sun in the standings with a 6-15 record. On top of that, both DiJonai Carrington and Arike Ogunbowale have been missing in action for several games with no clear timeline for return.
While the most likely explanation is what's been presented to fans so far (both are injured), as we've seen recently in the league, sometimes players sit out games because they want to leave a team... and the loss of Carrington and Ogunbowale would have huge repercussions for the Wings.
What happened to DiJonai Carrington and Arike Ogunbowale
Carrington was injured on June 20 after taking a hard hit to her chest during the team's game against the Sun. She didn't travel with the team to Phoenix on July 7 and didn't play in the Wings' July 9 game against the Sky — and there's no clear timeline for her return, or even solid information about how bad the injury might be.
Ogunbowale suffered a thumb injury during the Wings' 79-71 win over the Mystics on June 28. Ogunbowale is the heart of the Wings' team and is currently averaging 16.8 points, 2.7 rebounds, 3.9 assists, and 1.5 steals — her absence is pronounced and felt. She also did not travel with the team to Phoenix.
What the silence surrounding the Wings' injuries could mean
Getting asked a lot about the Dallas Wings’ Arike Ogunbowale and DiJonai Carrington’s injury situation.
— Joey Mistretta (@JoeyMistretta_) July 7, 2025
Here are the latest updates all in one as I reported for @ClutchPoints pic.twitter.com/E9PwVzEcTC
There are a few reasons why the Wings might be offering little by way of injury update for Carrington and Ogunbowale. One of the biggest is also the most obvious: they're both hurt, the injuries are little more complicated than they might seem, and the team will update the league and the fans when they have a more clear understanding of what the timeline might be.
A rib injury can take up to six weeks to recover from, especially if the ribs were broken or fractured, the NHS has explained. Because ribs can't really be put in a cast like other parts of the body, they have to heal naturally — a process that just requires a lot of time. The Wings have not offered details about the nature of Carrington's injury, but if it's that serious, fans may just have to keep waiting.
Similarly, thumb injuries can be pretty serious. There are several grades of potential sprains, some of which include ligament tears. There has been no indication that Ogunbowale tore a ligament, but the Cleveland Clinic has noted that it can take up to six weeks for a mild sprain to heal and months to fully recover from a more moderate to severe sprain.
The decision to not travel with the team could — potentially — be a sign of something else brewing behind the scenes. While it's possible the decision for both players to stay in Texas is due to rehab as reported by Joey Mistretta, it could also be because Ogunbowale and Carrington aren't completely committed to the team at the moment. Notably, Maddy Siegrist, who was diagnosed with an anterolateral tibial plateau fracture in her right knee after injuring her leg during the Wings' June 11 game against the Mercury, did travel with the team.
As we've seen with DeWanna Bonner and the Indiana Fever, it's not far-fetched to wonder if part of the silence surrounding Carrington and Ogunbowale's injuries is due to a larger dissatisfaction with the team. If that is the case, only time will reveal exactly what is going on in Dallas.