It was a competitive game between the best women’s basketball players on the planet on Saturday night in Phoenix, AZ, as Team USA faced off against Team WNBA. The game was an even contest up to the halfway mark, but thanks to Arike Ogunbowale going nuclear in the second half, Team WNBA came out on top, winning 117-109.
Ogunbowale was a star among stars, scoring all 34 of her points in the second half. The key to her huge turnaround after halftime? Breathing. “She (Team WNBA coach Cheryl Miller) just told me to take a deep breath and play my game,” Ogunbowale said in the postgame presser. Maybe we should all take a deep breath before it’s time to go to work.
After the win, it was clear the All-Star MVP would belong to Ogunbowale.
It took more than a masterclass by the Dallas Wings guard to get the win, as other WNBA All-Stars stepped up. Nneka Ogwumike had 14 points, three rebounds, and two assists; she was the only other Team WNBA starter in double figures. Allisha Gray, who won both the Skills Challenge and the 3-Point Contest on Friday, kept her successful weekend in Phoenix going with a team-high 16 points off the bench.
Angel Reese added another double-double to her resume, scoring 12 points and grabbing 11 rebounds. Caitlin Clark was quiet, scoring just four points, but she was an elite distributor with 10 assists. Kelsey Mitchell also had a double-digit performance for Team WNBA, scoring 13 points on 6-for-8 shooting from the field.
For Team USA, Breanna Stewart did everything to try to secure the result, scoring 31 points, grabbing three rebounds and passing out three assists. A’ja Wilson was also dominant with 22 points and was showered with “MVP” chants while she took free throws late in the game. The local legend Diana Taurasi had 14 points, six rebounds and five assists, but the best America has to offer wasn’t enough to beat the best players in the WNBA.
The outcome might cause some fans to be concerned that the women are unprepared for the Olympics, but remember that Team WNBA likely is better than any team Team USA will play in Paris. The last time Team USA played Team WNBA in preparation for the Olympics, the result was similar, with Team WNBA winning 93-85. And Team USA still easily won the gold medal.
The WNBA All-Stars now will begin their Olympic break, and Team USA will turn this loss into a lesson as they head to London.
How Team WNBA got it done
The game started well for Team USA, as they went on a 6-0 run. Team WNBA quickly responded, and we had a competitive game with five minutes remaining in the opening quarter, with Team USA up 14-9. Ogwumike started off hot with eight points on 4-for-5 shooting for Team WNBA. After a 3-pointer by Kayla McBride, a pull-up jumper by Mitchell and another bucket by Reese, Team WNBA held a one-point advantage after one quarter of play.
The rest of the first half was fairly balanced, as neither team could create any significant separation. Clark was distributing the ball well for Team WNBA, and Stewart and Taurasi were players Team USA could go to for a basket. Brionna Jones scored a buzzer beater for Team WNBA to make it 54-52 at the break, with Team USA leading by two points.
Team WNBA switched jerseys at halftime and came out roaring, starting the third quarter on a 9-2 run. Thanks to Ogunbowale, they kept that momentum throughout the quarter. She had 21 points in the third quarter alone and helped extend the lead to six with under two minutes left in the third. Team USA couldn’t close the gap and Team WNBA took a nine-point advantage into the fourth.
Both teams exchanged baskets to start the closing quarter as Team WNBA maintained their advantage over Team USA. Midway through the quarter, Team WNBA continued its dominance and began distancing itself. Following a Gray steal and basket, the lead ballooned to 15 points, part of a 10-0 run that all but sealed this result. Reese scored a basket near the rim to get into double digits, and Ogunbowale was hitting one-legged jumpers, putting this game out of reach. Ogunbowale hit another 3-pointer and walked back on defense with the biggest smile on her face.
Team USA made a late surge, but it wasn’t enough as they lost the game and will head overseas with work to be done as they prepare for the Paris Olympics.
Key takeaways
It might sound like a cop out, but women’s basketball won this weekend. Arenas were sold out. Gray shined on Friday. And on Saturday, Team WNBA showed that, while Team USA may be the most dominant country in this sport, this league is in a different stratosphere.
This is precisely what you want an All-Star weekend to be: dream scenarios becoming reality as players give a competitive effort.
We saw Clark passing to Reese, Ogunbowale dominating and Team USA testing themselves. Everything was positive, and now the only question that remains is where the WNBA All-Star will go next. Given how successfully Phoenix hosted this event, 2025 will have a high standard to reach.