Arike Ogunbowale found herself in a tense situation in early March, living in Russia amid the country’s invasion of Ukraine.

The 25-year-old was playing with WBC Dynamo Kursk, her overseas team since 2020, when the military conflict began. She says those closest to her in the United States quickly urged her to come home.

“Everybody is texting me like, ‘You need to get out,'” Ogunbowale tells Kelley O’Hara on the latest episode of The Players’ Pod. “Where I am in Kursk, it was pretty close to the border. Stuff is going on in the air every night.”

Eventually, Ogunbowale was able to leave Russia, right as the war was escalating.

Brittney Griner, who competed for UMMC Ekaterinburg in Russia, has been detained in the country since late February after being arrested on suspicion of carrying hashish oil in her luggage. Many have voiced their concerns for the Phoenix Mercury star, including U.S. government officials and the WNBA commissioner.

“We continue to be working diligently on bringing Brittney Griner home,” Commissioner Cathy Engelbert said during the WNBA Draft. “This is an unimaginable situation for BG to be in. She continues to have our full support. She’s just been such a great person in the league that I can’t be any more real about the situation she’s in.”

Ogunbowale says her Russian teammates continue to compete “as if nothing is going on,” and she worries about the disinformation they’re hearing regarding the invasion.

“I just feel like there is a lot of news that is not getting fed to them that they really should know,” Ogunbowale tells O’Hara. “Listening to the conversations of what they were thinking is going on, rather than what is actually going on, is night and day, so that’s kind of sad that they’re not getting the right information of actually what is going on and what they’re doing.”

Ogunbowale has not decided whether she will return overseas to play next WNBA offseason. After signing a three-year, supermax contract to remain with the Dallas Wings through 2025, Ogunbowale sees a future where more opportunities keep her stateside in the winter.

“I think the biggest part is just building my brand more, because at the end of the day, the WNBA is four or five months and we are overseas for like seven months, and obviously there isn’t a lot of visibility over there,” she says. “Plus women’s sports is excelling right now, so it’s a great time to build your brand and be here and be visible.”

Listen to the latest episode of The Players Pod for more on Ogunbowale’s basketball career and experience playing abroad.

Mercedes-Benz is getting into the women's game, with the luxury car giant becoming the official automotive partner of England's WSL and WSL2 this week.

The deal showcases Mercedes-Benz's growing commitment to women's sports, with the auto giant also signing on as the presenting sponsor of the WTA Tour last month — adding to a resume that includes serving as the official patron of the LPGA Tour's AIG Women's Open.

"The Mercedes-Benz story began 140 years ago with a bold idea," said Mercedes-Benz UK CEO and managing director Olivier Reppert in the WSL's Wednesday press release. "Now, that same spirit of innovation and ambition drives our partnership with WSL Football."

While financial terms of the partnership are not public, Mercedes-Benz is just the latest big-name sponsor to back WSL Football, with some reports saying that the two-league outfit has tripled its commercial revenue since splitting with the FA in 2024.

"Bringing a brand of this calibre…will help us elevate the game, deepen engagement with fans and players, and accelerate long-term growth across both leagues," said WSL Football CRO Zarah Al-Kudcy.

Mercedes-Benz will also present this spring's inaugural interleague playoff, in which the third-place WSL2 club will battle the last-place WSL team for a chance at promotion as a part of the top flight's planned 14-team expansion for 2026/27.

The PWHL is coming to the Garden, as the No. 2 New York Sirens announced on Thursday that they'll host the No. 6 Seattle Torrent at Manhattan's legendary Madison Square Garden (MSG) on April 4th.

While MSG staged a fan-less PWHPA game in February 2021, this year's PWHL takeover marks the iconic arena's first-ever ticketed pro women's hockey event.

"Madison Square Garden has a storied women's sports history," said Sirens GM Pascal Daoust in the team's announcement. "New York doesn't just watch moments; it lives with them. This is one of those nights meant to be experienced together, in the building, as part of the history of our team, our league, and everyone who helps bring it to life."

The April showdown will serve as the pair's final regular-season clash, with the 2025/26 series currently tied at 1-1.

Seattle took the first meeting 2-1 behind goals from captain Hilary Knight and Alex Carpenter on December 3rd, before New York stole the second game 4-3 as NYC local Casey O'Brien's hat trick lit up the league's Takeover Tour stop in Dallas on December 28th.

The Torrent and Sirens will next face off in Chicago on March 25th before closing out their four-game slate by making history at MSG at 8 PM ET on April 4th.

How to attend the PWHL clash at Madison Square Garden

While New York season ticket-holders can currently access tickets to the MSG clash, the presale for Sirens newsletter subscribers will begin on Monday before general sales opens at 10 AM ET on Tuesday via Ticketmaster.

Just one week into the 2026 NCAA season, UCLA women's gymnastics is the nation's No. 1 team for the first time since 2018, with senior Jordan Chiles — a two-time Olympic medalist in her final year of collegiate competition — leading the charge.

"It is really easy to be at the end of your career thinking, 'Okay, I am good with where I am at,' but they do not have that mentality," Bruins head coach Janelle McDonald said of her senior-heavy squad.

Winning the all-around in UCLA's January 3rd opening meet, Chiles is the current all-around No. 1, while also topping the rankings in the uneven bars, balance beam, and floor events, while sitting second in the vault.

"I've got the cutesy, I've done the hip hop," Chiles said of her updated senior floor routine. "This is more like the passionate, confident last year of being a Bruin."

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Notably, Chiles and UCLA have a leg up in the scores-based national gymnastics rankings considering they began their 2026 NCAA campaign before most other top programs: Only 14 Division I squads — 10 from the Power Four conferences — have started their seasons so far.

This allowed the Bruins to lead the ranks before the rest of the field could earn any points to challenge UCLA's top spot — though that will change this weekend when the majority of the NCAA's gymnastics squads enter the fray.

Pitting some of the NCAA's best squads against each other, the annual Sprouts Farmers Market Collegiate Quad will officially kick off the 2026 season in style this weekend, welcoming 2025 champions Oklahoma, finalists UCLA and Utah, semifinalists LSU and Michigan State, and regional contenders Cal, Kentucky, and Michigan across two four-team sessions on Saturday.

How to watch UCLA at the 2026 Sprouts Farmers Market Collegiate Quad

The Bruins will aim to keep their No. 1 spot in the first session of Saturday's the 2026 Sprouts Farmers Market Collegiate Quad, where UCLA will battle Oklahoma, Utah, and LSU at 4 PM ET on ABC.

The second session will begin at 8 PM ET, when Michigan State, Cal, Kentucky, and Michigan will compete head-to-head, airing live on ESPN2.

The winter of change is revving up for the Kansas City Current, with the 2025 NWSL Shield-winners announcing both a new manager and key player departures this week.

Former MLS head coach Chris Armas will officially take over as manager, after the Current's former sideline leader Vlatko Andonovski became the club's sporting director in November.

"[Armas] brings an abundance of experience at the highest levels," said Kansas City co-owners Angie and Chris Long in a Wednesday club statement. "We are confident he will further cultivate and enhance our competitive environment as we continue to pursue championships and expand our global footprint."

Armas will have his work cut out for him, however, as Kansas City will attempt to defend their Shield in the 2026 NWSL season despite major on-field contributors continuing to jump ship.

Most notably, Brazil national team star and 2025 NWSL MVP candidate Bia Zaneratto departed the club to pursue free agency, the Current announced on Wednesday.

"The impact that Bia had in Kansas City over the past two years is immeasurable," said Andonovski about the 32-year-old attacker. "Her quality, both on and off the field, will be greatly missed. On behalf of everyone at the Current, we thank Bia for everything she has given to this club and to this city."

All in all, Kansas City is turning over an untested leaf, committing to rolling the dice in 2026 after falling short of the NWSL championship in 2025.