Cheryl Reeve, head coach of the U.S. women’s national team, accurately predicted that Team USA would encounter adversity in their exhibition match against Team WNBA in Phoenix on Saturday.
Her prediction was spot on.
In front of a sold-out crowd at Footprint Center, Team WNBA defeated Team USA 117-109 in the WNBA All-Star Game. The first half was closely contested, but Team WNBA's Arike Ogunbowale then took over, setting a record for the most points scored in a WNBA All-Star game and earning her second MVP nod.
Ogunbowale was scoreless in the first half, but after a pep talk from coach Cheryl Miller, she exploded for 34 points (10-for-20 FG), hitting eight of 13 three-pointers. She also had six assists, three rebounds, and two steals, helping Team WNBA build a lead of up to 20 points. Ogunbowale joined Lisa Leslie (1999, 2001, 2022), Swin Cash (2009, 2011), and Maya Moore (2015, 2017, 2018) as the only WNBA players to win multiple All-Star MVP awards. She previously won the MVP in 2021.
Caitlin Clark, on the other hand, finished with four points on 2-of-9 shooting, going 0-for-7 from beyond the arc.
Angel Reese became just the second rookie to record a double-double in the All-Star Game, with 12 points and 11 rebounds. The first was Yolanda Griffith in 1999.
In a display of former rivals turning into teammates, Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese, both rookies, connected during the game. Clark found Reese in the paint for an easy layup in the third quarter, putting Team WNBA up 95-86 over Team USA. This rookie duo is the first to earn All-Star nods since 2014.
In the third quarter, Team WNBA led 88-79. Ogunbowale, after being scoreless in the first half, scored five points in a little more than a minute and ended the quarter with 21 points, thanks to five three-pointers. "Coach (Cheryl Miller) told me I was thinking too much. She told me just to take a breath and breathe in," Ogunbowale said in a TV interview after the third quarter. Kelsey Mitchell capped off the dominant third quarter for Team WNBA with a buzzer-beating three-pointer, with Team WNBA outscoring Team USA 36-25.
Caitlin Clark set a rookie record with nine assists in the All-Star Game. She had set the WNBA single-game assist record earlier in the week with 19 assists against the Dallas Wings. Despite only scoring two points, Clark contributed with one rebound and two steals.
At halftime, Team USA led 54-52. Breanna Stewart scored 10 of Team USA's last 12 points in the first half, nearing a double-double with a game-high 14 points and five rebounds. Allisha Gray led Team WNBA with 12 points off the bench. After winning the 3-point contest and skills challenge the previous night, Gray was in contention for the All-Star game MVP.
The game was high-scoring, but both teams struggled from the 3-point line. Team USA was 4-of-14 from three, while Team WNBA was 3-of-17. Caitlin Clark was 0-for-5 from beyond the arc.
The All-Star Game attracted many celebrities, including actor and Ted Lasso star Jason Sudeikis, actress Aubrey Plaza, four-time WNBA champion and five-time Olympic gold medalist Sue Bird, Olympic champion and World Cup winner Megan Rapinoe, Vanessa Bryant and her family, rapper Ty Dolla $ign, three-time WNBA MVP and three-time gold medalist Sheryl Swoopes, the Mercury's Sophie Cunningham, UConn guard Paige Bueckers, the Cardinals' Marvin Harrison Jr. and Kyler Murray, and Shannon Sharpe.
Caitlin Clark finally scored in the second quarter, turning defense into offense by deflecting a pass from Team USA’s Alyssa Thomas and laying it in for her first points. Despite her struggles from beyond the arc (0-for-3), Clark contributed with three assists, including a behind-the-back pass to Indiana Fever teammate Aliyah Boston for a layup, and another assist to Jonquel Jones.
Earlier in the week, Clark had set a WNBA record for single-game assists with 19 during the Fever's game against the Dallas Wings.
The first quarter ended with Team WNBA leading 24-23. Team USA’s Diana Taurasi opened the game with a three-pointer, but Team WNBA kept pace. Nneka Ogwumike scored eight of Team WNBA’s 24 points, while A’Ja Wilson led Team USA with seven points, including a three-pointer. Both teams shot 50% from the field, with Team WNBA going 11-for-22 and Team USA 10-for-20. Despite the typically lax defense in All-Star games, defense was evident, with Breanna Stewart already collecting five rebounds.
Ann Meyers Drysdale was named an honorary coach by Cheryl Miller. Before the game, Miller handed Meyers Drysdale a coaching hoodie, prompting applause from the crowd. Miller called Meyers Drysdale her WNBA GOAT. Meyers Drysdale, a Hall of Famer, was the general manager and president of the Phoenix Mercury and a member of the first Olympic women's team, which won silver at the Montreal Olympics in 1976.
Diana Taurasi scored the first points of the game with a three-pointer from the left top of the key, giving Team USA an early 3-0 lead.
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