Arike Ogunbowale
She became a college basketball legend by hitting two last-second shots to win a national championship, a feat of clutch performance rarely seen.
Born 1997 (age 29)·American basketball player·Birthday: March 2·Generation Z
Biography
Arike Ogunbowale’s name is etched in NCAA history for a breathtaking six-second sequence of real-time drama. In the 2018 Final Four, the Notre Dame guard sank a buzzer-beater to defeat powerhouse UConn. Two nights later, she did it again, hitting a championship-winning shot from the corner against Mississippi State. This display of icy composure under the brightest lights announced her as a player built for the moment. Transitioning to the WNBA with the Dallas Wings, Ogunbowale refined her explosive scoring ability, evolving into one of the league's most potent offensive forces. She led the WNBA in scoring in 2023 and has claimed multiple All-Star MVP honors, proving her flair for the dramatic extends far beyond a single magical March. Her game is a blend of audacious shot-making and relentless confidence, making her a must-watch attraction and a standard-bearer for a new generation of basketball players.
Generation Z
1997–2012
Born into smartphones, social media, and school shootings. The most diverse generation in history. Pragmatic about money, fluid about identity, anxious about the climate. They do not remember a world before the internet.
Arike was born in 1997, placing them squarely in the Generation Z. The events that shaped this generation — social media, climate anxiety, and a pandemic — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Arike Was Born
The biggest hits of 1997
#1 Movie
Titanic
Best Picture
Titanic
#1 TV Show
ER
Arike's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1997Born
Princess Diana dies in Paris car crash; Harry Potter published
Gas: $1.23/galHome: $104,100Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Candle in the Wind 1997" — Elton JohnBest Picture: Titanic
2002Started school
Euro currency enters circulation
Gas: $1.36/galHome: $137,800Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"How You Remind Me" — NickelbackBest Picture: Chicago
2010Became a teenager
Deepwater Horizon oil spill; iPad launched
Gas: $2.79/galHome: $147,800Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Tik Tok" — KeshaBest Picture: The King's Speech
2013Could drive
Edward Snowden reveals NSA surveillance programs
Gas: $3.53/galHome: $152,800Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Thrift Shop" — Macklemore & Ryan LewisBest Picture: 12 Years a Slave
2015Could vote
Paris climate agreement; same-sex marriage legalized in the US
Gas: $2.43/galHome: $171,900Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Uptown Funk" — Mark Ronson ft. Bruno MarsBest Picture: Spotlight
2018Turned 21
Royal wedding of Harry and Meghan; Parkland shooting
Gas: $2.72/galHome: $211,800Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Donald Trump"God's Plan" — DrakeBest Picture: Green Book
2026Age 29 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Hit game-winning shots in both the national semifinal and championship game to lead Notre Dame to the 2018 NCAA title.
- Named the 2021 and 2024 WNBA All-Star Game Most Valuable Player.
- Led the entire WNBA in total points scored during the 2023 season.
- Was selected with the fifth overall pick by the Dallas Wings in the 2019 WNBA draft.
Did You Know?
She won the 2021 WNBA All-Star MVP despite being on the losing team, a rare occurrence.
Ogunbowale is a talented dancer and competed on the television show 'Dancing with the Stars' in 2019.
Her game-winning shot in the 2018 national championship was a pull-up jumper from the left corner with 0.1 seconds left.
“I live for those moments. I want the ball in my hands when the game is on the line.”
