Arike Ogunbowale showcased her dominant scoring skills on the court while Caitlin Clark displayed her exceptional passing abilities. Angel Reese demonstrated her consistency as a double-double machine.
Although the United States may still be considered the best team at the Olympics, they did not have all the top players during the All-Star Game on Saturday night.
Ogunbowale set a new All-Star scoring record, accumulating an impressive 34 points, while Clark narrowly missed breaking the assist record in her All-Star debut. The WNBA team triumphed over the U.S. Olympic team with a final score of 117-109.
This victory marks the second consecutive win for the WNBA All-Star team against the Olympians, following their triumph in 2021. Ogunbowale, who clinched the MVP title in both games, proved to be instrumental in securing the wins.
This win will greatly benefit us. We rarely get the opportunity to play so many games, stated Breanna Stewart, who scored 31 points for the U.S. team. We can review the footage and focus on improving our performance. The result felt a bit like déjà vu, but it has focused us on our goals.
This loss is the U.S.’s only defeat of the year, as they otherwise claimed their seventh consecutive Olympic gold medal. The U.S. team aims for similar success in Paris later this month. However, no other team in the world possesses the depth and talent of the WNBA All-Stars.
Coach Cheryl Reeve humorously commented, “Is Arike playing for any of these teams we are going to play?”
The U.S. men’s Olympic team also experienced a close call earlier on Saturday, rallying to defeat South Sudan by just one point in an exhibition game held in London.
Next, the U.S. women’s team will face off against Germany in another exhibition game in London on Tuesday before heading to France for the Olympics. The American team will compete in a pool with Belgium, Japan, and Germany.
Reeve acknowledged that there is still work to be done, stating, “We have work to do, and we know that. Adversity can sometimes be a good thing. However, we did not require a game like this to grab our attention. We understand the difficulty of achieving our objectives and there is work ahead of us.”
Ogunbowale once again proved to be a formidable opponent for the U.S. team, scoring all her points in the second half of the game. The 2021 All-Star MVP dominated the third quarter, accumulating 21 points and successfully landing six of her 10 shots, including five 3-pointers. The U.S. team tried everything to stop the Dallas Wings star, but could not contain her.
Ogunbowale revealed that during halftime, Team WNBA Coach Cheryl Miller advised her to be more aggressive, saying, “She told me to take a deep breath and go out and play my game.”
Ogunbowale was included in the U.S. national team pool for the past two Olympics but did not make the final roster either time. This time, she opted to remove her name from the pool of players early on, citing political reasons as the deciding factor.
By the end of the third quarter, the WNBA All-Stars had transformed a two-point halftime deficit into an 88-79 lead. Ogunbowale broke Jewell Loyd’s previous All-Star scoring record of 31 points with a late fourth-quarter 3-pointer.
The Olympians, who had practiced together for only two days, never posed a significant threat during the game. Aja Wilson contributed 22 points to the U.S. team’s effort.
The All-Star Game generated tremendous excitement and energy due to the highly anticipated appearances of rookies Clark and Reese, who have played instrumental roles in elevating the WNBA’s popularity this season, resulting in record attendance and viewership.
It was the first time these young stars played together. One of Clark’s 10 assists was directed towards Reese, who impressed with 12 points and 11 rebounds.
Reese expressed confidence following their brief 30-minute practice, stating, “We knew we were going to win. The tone was set.”
Clark fell just one assist short of matching Sue Bird’s All-Star record. Clark expressed her admiration for Bird, stating, “That’s Sue’s record. I can’t take that from her. She’s my friend.”
The game was held in Phoenix to celebrate the 20-year career of Mercury star Diana Taurasi and the return of Brittney Griner, who experienced wrongful detainment in Russia in 2022.
Coach Reeve mentioned the difficulty of focusing on coaching due to the ongoing celebrations and stated, “It is one of the greatest spectacles, I think, in the history of our league.”
The pregame introductions elicited roaring applause from the crowd for Clark and Reese, but the reception for Taurasi, playing in her 11th All-Star Game, was unparalleled.
Taurasi kick-started the scoring with a 3-pointer from the wing during the closely contested first half, where the U.S. held a slim 54-52 lead. However, the WNBA team quickly took control by scoring nine out of the first 11 points in the third quarter.