Our next guest became an overnight sensation
this past weekend after hitting two game-winning buzzer beaters
in the NCAA Women's Basketball Tournament.
Take a look at her.
For a trip to the National Championship--
Ogunbowale.
[CHEERING]
Ogunbowale for the win.
[CHEERING]
Arike Ogunbowale wins the National Championship
for Notre Dame.
From the University of Notre Dame,
please welcome national champion Arike.
Congratulations.
Thank you.
I mean, your life has just changed, right?
It really has.
Overnight.
Yeah.
OK, so two game-winning scores.
So what is that--
OK, the first one, you must have been like, oh my god.
Like, the first one, I'm like, OK, that's crazy.
Like, you're going to the national championship
for the first time.
The second one, I'm like, there's no way that went in.
I'm like, did I travel?
Did I knock it off the top.
I went to my coach and I'm like, did it count?
Did it count?
She's like, it counted.
I'm like, no it didn't-- like, there's no way.
Well, you could see everybody reacted like it counted.
They did, so I guess I had to believe it.
I still don't.
Yeah, because you were struggling
that whole game, right?
And you were losing at half.
Yeah, we only scored three points
in the second quarter, which was terrible.
Like, we only had seven points in the first half
and I was one for 10 in the first quarter.
But I mean, my teammates-- they have
confidence in me, my teammates and my coach-- they trust me.
So they're like, keep shooting.
Keep shooting.
That's what I did.
Wow.
That's amazing.
See, that pays off, to have confidence in somebody.
Yeah, definitely.
Yeah.
So you hadn't won in 17 years, is that right?
Notre Dame hadn't won in 17 years.
Yeah, the last time was 2001.
Right.
So I mean, obviously, that could kind of mess with you
when you're going in.
So did you try to overcome that, or what
were your thoughts going into that game?
I mean-- well, we still have the national championship winner
on the team.
Like, this actually her 2001 National Championship ring,
but she just told us, like, you guys can do it.
I know this team can do it.
And I mean, she had trust in us.
Everybody had trust in us.
Right.
So how old are you?
21.
When did you start playing basketball?
When I was around, like, three or four.
OK, three or four.
You just-- did people in your family play?
Yeah, I have two older brothers, so I
used to always play with them, even though I wouldn't win.
And in first grade-- my mom's a fifth grade teacher,
and she coached our fifth grade basketball team.
In first grade, I was playing on that team as well.
So you were good right away.
Yeah-- I mean, first grade, I was a little rough.
I was just on the team because my mom was there.
But second and third grade, I got pretty good.
So you got good in second grade.
Second grade.
It took you a while.
One year, yeah.
Yeah.
All right, and then how does this feel,
when you see yourself here?
This is-- I don't know.
It's amazing.
I mean--
[APPLAUSE]
Oh-- I mean, individually, it's a great thing.
But I think-- thank y'all.
I think for like, women's basketball in general,
for us to get this much media attention
and finally getting the respect that we deserve,
I think is just amazing.
Yeah, I agree.
I agree.
[APPLAUSE]
Equality.
Equal pay.
Yeah.
Equal pay.
Yeah.
So you got a tweet from Kobe, who is, like, your--
you love him.
Love him.
OK.
And so you see he tweets you, and what happens?
I mean, initially at the game, I saw him and he was UConn--
had blue on sitting at UConn.
I'm like, OK, cool.
Like, this is my idol.
Cheering for my rivals, like, that's awesome but-- and then
after the game I see him tweet at me-- like my teammate
brought it to me after a press conference.
I was like, there's no way.
There's no way.
And then I tweeted at him.
I was like, life complete.
And he was like, no, it's not complete
yet until you win the Championship,
and I think that was motivation for me,
because I mean I love him.
I wear 24 because of him, and for him to tweet at me--
and I named my dog Kobe, after him, actually, so--
[LAUGHTER]
--For him to tweet at me was amazing.
And after we won Sunday, he was like, wow, mission complete--
or, life complete, actually.
Mamba Mentality.
I was just like, this is not real.
This is not my life right now.
That's amazing.
Yeah, your life-- you're at a very good moment right now.
It's really great.
All right, I have a gift for you.
We'll take a break and I'll give you your gift.
We'll be back, OK.
[APPLAUSE]
Arike-- so you went back to school, and like,
are you just the queen of the campus?
I mean, janitors asking to take pictures of me.
Random students-- like, I'm walking down the hallway,
which I usually just walk down.
Nobody looks down, but everybody's smiling at me.
I'm like, hey, like, what's up?
So it's been crazy.
Yeah, you're famous now.
A little bit.
It's a lot.
A little bit.
OK, so you said you love Kobe and he tweeted at you,
but you've never met him, right?
Yes.
I think you should meet him.
Kobe, come on out.
[MUSIC PLAYING]
[CHEERING]
I don't know what to say.
You champ.
I'm the champ.
That's five rings.
That's the champ.
I know.
How about-- I mean, first of all,
you didn't-- did you get one of these ever?
Never.
No.
Never.
Never, never even came close to that.
Did you really not play college basketball?
Completely skipped it.
Really?
Yeah, I skipped right over it, and I also
never hit a game-winning shot at the buzzer
to win a championship.
You know, like y'all don't understand--
that's like the picture-perfect moment.
Like, as a kid, you dream about five, four, three, two,
one, to win the championship, and she actually did it.
Twice.
Yeah.
[APPLAUSE]
Crazy.
But you were rooting against her at first.
Yes.
Yeah.
[LAUGHTER]
So, you know, we're big UConn family.
I've known Geno forever, both from Philadelphia,
and my daughter is a massive UConn fan, right.
And so after you hit the shot, she was completely like--
like, really mad, right?
And then she saw what you said and she goes,
we should have stayed home.
[LAUGHTER]
But she-- I mean, she loved it.
I mean, she loves great players making great moves.
She's actually been practicing that same move.
Oh, really?
Yeah, so it was absolutely wonderful.
Thank you.
Yeah.
Thank you.
Yeah, and I thought this-- you deserve that.
You need to meet your hero.
I mean--
Really hero.
Hero everything.
I mean, he's pretty awesome.
Yeah
Yeah.
[APPLAUSE]
Did you bring her something?
I did.
Actually, I brought you a couple gifts.
I bought you a couple of gifts.
No.
So I got this Jersey for you, and I signed the back for you.
Wow.
And--
This is my favorite here.
Yeah, so for your dog--
[LAUGHTER]
[APPLAUSE]
This is a first time and last time I'll
ever sign something like this.
I put, to Kobe--
bark with force.
[APPLAUSE]
So that's for Kobe.
Thank you.
Look at the front.
[APPLAUSE]
[LAUGHTER]
That's crazy.
All right, so we're going to take a break
and we're going to come back, and we're
going to play a little bit of basketball with--
I'm very bad at it.
But I'm going to play with you all.
You're on my team, because I haven't shot in a long time,
so--
No, no, she's on my team.
We'll be back.
We're back with Ice Cube, Kobe, and Arike,
and I have to say, first of all--
I mean, you were amazing and we keep saying you're amazing,
but we got to give credit to your team, your coach--
I mean, I wouldn't be here without them.
This is like I'm here representing all of us.
I mean, we have a Hall of Fame coach.
She got her 800th win on the National Championship
game, which is amazing.
She just got into the Hall of Fame, AP coach of the year.
The assistant coaches are amazing,
and my teammates-- best teammates
I ever had, so thank you, guys.
Yeah.
[APPLAUSE]
All about teamwork.
Ice Cube is about to start the second season of his basketball
league, the Big3.
It's interesting, because I have my own league.
It's called Ellen's Tutu.
[LAUGHTER]
So we're going to put 90 seconds on the clock,
and it'll be women against men.
Easy money.
What happens?
We have the ball first.
OK.
All right.
I'm gonna guard you, Ellen.
So wait, hold on.
So what are we doing?
[LAUGHTER]
It's you two and--
We're playing two on two?
Yeah, it's two on two.
Aw, man.
Come on.
All right.
I think you can take him.
[LAUGHTER]
Yeah.
All right.
Let's go, let's go.
Come on.
Oh, mama mentality.
Oh.
She hit me with the jab.
Oh, oh.
Are you about to shoot it?
I'll take that.
I had to hit--
Take that.
Oh, no.
Hey, that's a foul.
Shoot it.
[LAUGHTER]
Oh, you got to post it up, man.
Take it on the block, man.
That's-- there you go.
Oh.
Oh, you got-- finish your breakfast,
man, finish your breakfast.
That's a shot.
[LAUGHTER]
How much time we got left?
Oh.
Oh, turtle, turtle.
Oh, you got the ball?
[LAUGHTER]
[CHEERING]
Shoot that.
Shortie ain't got no D.
Oh, yeah.
All right, we got this, Cube.
Come on, Kobe.
We got this.
Let me redeem myself.
[LAUGHTER]
[SHOUTING]
Kobe up here breaking equipment.
Hold on, you can't box me out, girl.
Yeah, not enough.
Oh.
Are you about to shoot it?
You, I think you can take her.
I think you can take her.
No, no, give it back.
[BUZZER SOUNDS]
Oh.
I think we won.
We won.
What the hell?
[APPLAUSE AND CHEERING]
That was a good game, though.
How I lose with Kobe?
That's a good game.
[CHEERING]
You've seen her hit two game winners.
You're just going to let her size you up and shoot a J at--
I thought you had it.
Look, look-- this was--
I failed you.
Listen, I failed you.
I failed you.
I should have been guarding her, man, that's my fault.
This is an exhausting game.
Amen.
Look-- God.
The new season of Hip Hop Squares
premieres April 18th at 10:00 on VH1.
We'll be right back.
[UPBEAT MUSIC PLAYING]