Arike Ogunbowale torches Team USA with All-Star record 34 points

PHOENIX — Arike Ogunbowale sat within the locker room at halftime of Saturday’s WNBA All-Star Recreation with zero factors and Crew WNBA trailing by two. Coach Cheryl Miller pointed to Ogunbowale and known as her out in a shock transfer.

“I wasn’t anticipating her to say my title,” Ogunbowale mentioned. “She simply advised me to take a deep breath and play my sport.”

That she did.

Ogunbowale set a WNBA All-Star Recreation document with 34 factors to earn her second All-Star Recreation MVP and lead Crew WNBA to a 117-109 win over Crew USA in entrance of 16,407 followers at Footprint Middle.

“I suppose you guys noticed what occurred,” Ogunbowale mentioned.

Miller’s problem labored instantly. Ogunbowale scored 21 factors within the third quarter — essentially the most in a single quarter in WNBA All-Star Recreation historical past — setting in movement a repeat of what she and Crew WNBA achieved three years in the past when it knocked off Crew USA within the first All-Star Weekend with the WNBA-USA Basketball format. Ogunbowale additionally was named MVP of the 2021 sport after scoring 26 factors.

The nationwide workforce rebounded from that loss to win a gold medal in Tokyo.

“It was like a bit little bit of a déjà vu feeling, actually,” mentioned Crew USA ahead Breanna Stewart, who registered a double-double with 31 factors and 10 rebounds.

In response to a postgame query that inadvertently talked about the NBA as a substitute of the WNBA, Crew USA coach Cheryl Reeve rapidly quipped about Ogunbowale: “It felt like we have been guarding any individual from the NBA?”

Ogunbowale took her title out of the pool of candidates for the U.S. ladies’s nationwide workforce earlier this yr.

At one level throughout Reeve’s postgame information convention, the coach dropped one other one-liner. “Is Arike taking part in for any of those groups that we will play?” she mentioned to laughs.

Ogunbowale’s 34 factors have been the second most scored in any half in WNBA historical past, together with the common season, playoffs, All-Star Video games and the Commissioner’s Cup, in accordance with ESPN Stats & Data analysis. Solely Riquna Williams, who scored 35 factors within the second half for the Tulsa Shock in a 2013 regular-season sport, had extra.

That helped Ogunbowale develop into the fourth participant to earn a number of WNBA All-Star Recreation MVPs, becoming a member of Lisa Leslie and Maya Moore, who every had three, and Swin Money, who had two.

“These are three greats, individuals who paved the best way for gamers like us,” Ogunbowale mentioned. “That is undoubtedly dope to be in that dialog.”

Ogunbowale’s efficiency was the icing on the cake of a historic WNBA All-Star Recreation. Stewart turned the primary participant with 30 factors and 10 rebounds in a WNBA All-Star Recreation, and Chicago Sky rookie Angel Reese turned the primary rookie to document a double-double, with 12 factors and 11 rebounds.

Crew USA’s A’ja Wilson scored 22 factors, Diana Taurasi added 14 and Brittney Griner put up 10.

Ogunbowale was complemented on Crew WNBA by Allisha Grey’s 16 factors, Nneka Ogwumike’s 14 and Kelsey Mitchell’s 13. Indiana Fever rookie Caitlin Clark, who bought the beginning with essentially the most votes amongst all gamers, completed with 10 assists, one shy of Sue Chook’s All-Star Recreation document simply three days after setting a WNBA single-game document with 19 assists.

“That is Sue’s document,” Clark mentioned. “I am unable to take that from her. That is my homie.”

Clark was requested if Saturday night time’s win was vindication for being left off the Olympic workforce, and he or she bluntly mentioned, “No.”

“I imply, they’re actually good,” Clark mentioned. “That they had loads of expertise on that workforce and, I imply, it’s the similar, I feel [three] years prior. I am fairly certain Crew WNBA beat Crew USA.

“They have been completely wonderful within the Olympics. Like, I feel, if something, it reveals how good this league is.”

Clark and Reese related within the fourth quarter when Clark drove left and dropped a bounce cross to Reese after Crew USA heart Griner picked up Clark. Reese made a layup then she and Clark high-fived on the best way again down courtroom.

“I assumed that they have been skilled, like, as anybody at this stage could be,” Crew WNBA ahead Ogwumike mentioned of Reese and Clark. “I am at all times impressed by the 2 of them. I feel it was additionally actually enjoyable to see them taking part in collectively tonight. That they had some synergy and the maturity that they’ve entering into, not even simply being right here at All-Star however managing the entire inflow that they get as the 2 rookies which can be actually getting so much, a number of consideration.

“After which, after all, being celebrated too. I feel I want to assume that that they had enjoyable at this time, and I feel that is the primary aim, particularly for first-time All-Stars, is to benefit from the expertise. And so they helped us win too.”