WNBA All-Star Game: Arika Ogunbowale makes history, Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese shine against Team USA
Published 05/10/2024 at 06:19 GMT+1
Arike Ogunbowale made history as she set a WNBA All-Star Game record when she scored 34 points to lead Team WNBA to a 117-109 win over Team USA at the Footprint Center in Phoenix. She picked up her second All-Star MVP award, becoming only the fourth player to win multiple All-Star MVPs. WNBA rookies Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese both set records of their own to cap off a historic All-Star weekend.
Highlights as Clark's Fever beaten by Storm
Video credit: TNT Sports
Arike Ogunbowale set a WNBA All-Star Game record when she scored 34 points to lead Team WNBA to a 117-109 win over Team USA at the Footprint Center in Phoenix.
Ogunbowale earned her second All-Star Game MVP to cap off a historic All-Star game. The Dallas Wings' sharpshooter scored all her points in the second half, with 21 coming in the third quarter.
Rookies Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese set records of their own. Indiana Fever's Clark broke the high mark for the most assists by a rookie in the All-Star Game, with 10.
Chicago Sky's Reese became the first rookie ever to score a double-double in the All-Star Game, with 11 points and 11 rebounds.
Ogunbowale finished the first half with zero points and as she sat in the locker room, coach Cheryl Miller pointed to her and issued a challenge.
"I wasn't expecting her to say my name," Ogunbowale said. "She just told me to take a deep breath and play my game. I guess you guys saw what happened."
- Gray makes All-Star history with three-point and skills triumphs
- Clark breaks WNBA's all-time single-game assists record
Ogunbowale's 21 points in the third quarter is the most in a single quarter in WNBA All-Star Game history.
And her 34 points were the second-most scored in any half in WNBA history, including the regular season, playoffs, All-Star Games and the Commissioner's Cup.
Her efforts earned her a second All-Star Game MVP, joining Lisa Leslie, Maya Moore and Swin Cash as the only players to earn multiple MVPs.
"Those are three greats, people who paved the way for players like us," Ogunbowale said. "That's definitely dope to be in that conversation."
Ogunbowale had taken her name out of consideration for the player pool for the USA's women's national side earlier this year.
Team USA coach Cheryl Reeve delivered a quick quip in her post-game conference, saying: "Is Arike playing for any of these teams that we're going to play?"
Clark's 10 assists broke Shoni Schimmel's mark of eight in 2014 to set the record for most by a rookie in the All-Star game, and almost broke Sue Bird's single-game record.
"That's Sue's record," Clark said. "I can't take that from her. That's my homey."
Clark has already broken the WNBA's single game record for assists outside of the All-Star game, claiming 19 assists in the Indiana Fever’s 101-93 defeat to the Dallas Wings.
Clark delivered a blunt "no" when asked if Team WNBA's win was vindication for the rookie, after being left off the Olympic team.
"I mean, they're really good," Clark said. "They had plenty of talent on that team and, I mean, it is the same, I think [three] years prior. I'm pretty sure Team WNBA beat Team USA.
"They were perfectly fine in the Olympics. Like, I think, if anything, it shows how good this league is."
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