WNBA All-Star Game: Arike Ogunbowale wins MVP with record 34 points as Team WNBA defeats Team USA
Team WNBA defeated Team USA decisively in the 2024 WNBA All-Star Game on Saturday night. But the true winner was the game’s format. Despite the 117–109 final score, this was a real game played like it counted, not an exhibition.
For Team USA, full of veteran stars, this was preparation for the Olympics with only one more exhibition against Germany before the Paris Games begin. For Team WNBA, this was an opportunity for players to show they could’ve been on the national team as well. Many of those players will be on Team USA four years from now.
One fan of the format is clearly Arike Ogunbowale. The Dallas Wings star won MVP honors with an All-Star Game record 34 points — all scored in the second half — with 8-for-13 shooting on 3-pointers, along with six assists. She also won All-Star Game MVP in 2021, the last time the All-Star Game was played with the WNBA versus USA format.
Ogunbowale was a notable snub from the women's national team and sure played like she had something to say about that. After the Team USA roster was officially announced, Ogunbowale appeared on the "Nightcap" podcast to explain she withdrew from consideration when she could see that politics were playing a big role in choosing the team.
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