Team WNBA Arike Ogunbowale (left) drives on Team USA’s Kelsey Plum (5) at the 2024 WNBA All Star Game in Phoenix on Sat Jul 20, 2024 (AP News)

By Barbara Mason

In one of the best WNBA All-Star games of all-time a sell-out crowd of 16,407 witnessed Team WNBA beat Team USA 117-109 in a tight contest Saturday night. Most valuable player the Dallas Wings Arike Ogunbowale led Team WNBA to the win finishing with 34 points.

This was the most points scored in any all-star game earning Ogunbowale a second MVP nod. She was completely contained in the first half but turned it all around in the second half of play hitting eight of 13 three-pointers, giving Team WNBA as much as a 20 point lead in the final 20 minutes of this game.

This game was close in the first half of play with the opening quarter especially close with Team WNBA leading 24-23 after the first ten minutes. At the half, Team USA had a 54-52 lead winning the second quarter 31-28.

Team WNBA really turned this game around in the third quarter winning the quarter 36-25 and taking an 88-79 lead into the fourth quarter. Team USA fought back in the fourth quarter winning the quarter by the narrowest of margins 30-29. The domination in the third quarter by Team WNBA was the deciding factor in the 117-109 final score.

U.S. women’s national team Head Coach Cheryl Reeve had predicted that Team USA faced a huge challenge in this exhibition match taking on Team WNBA and she had it right although Team USA really did put up a fight.

Records were broken in this game with such incredible talent on the floor. Caitlin Clark set a rookie record with ten assists and Angel Reese became the first rookie with a double-double scoring 12 points with 11 rebounds. Allisha Gray who had won the 3-point shooting contest on Friday night chipped in 16 points for TEAM WNBA.

This All-Star game brought out numerous celebrities who enjoyed the evenings festivities from actor Jason Sudeikis (Ted Lasso star), Aubrey Plaza, Sue Bird, World Cup winner Megan Rapinoe, rapper Ty Dolla Sign, the Cardinals’ Marvin Harrison Jr., Kyler Murray, Shannon Sharpe and the list goes on and on. It was an evening to remember for the players and the fans alike.

From the very first shot made in this game when Diana Taurasi nailed a 3-pointer to the 3-pointer scored by Sabrina Ionescu with ten ticks left on the clock in the fourth quarter this game was amazing. Ogunbowale hit a couple of free throws to finish off this game.

This event had it all; it was so entertaining, full of high energy and fans expressed on many levels how much more fun this game was than the NBA All-Star game. This event seems to get better and better with every year. Saturday night at Footprint Center was the happening place to be.

The Las Vegas Aces were very well represented as expected in this game. A’Ja Wilson, Kelsey Plum, Jackie Young and Chelsea Gray all had some great moments in the game.

Now that this game is in the books, players and fans leave Phoenix with memories that will last a lifetime with the promise of more memories to be made in the coming years. It was certainly something special. Team USA now prepares for the 2024 Olympic Games that gets underway from July 26th to August 11.

What a memorable summer for all of these ladies. Once the Olympic Games are in the books, team USA will head back to finish off the regular season with all eyes focused on the WNBA playoffs to finish off an incredible 2024 season.

In one of the best

WNBA