Arike Ogunbowale sets WNBA All-Star Game record with 34 points, wins 2nd ASG MVP

Dallas Wings guard Arike Ogunbowale put on a show in the second half of the WNBA All-Star game as she set a single-game scoring record for the event. And she did all of her scoring — 34 points worth — in the second half.

For her efforts, Ogunbowale was named All-Star Game MVP, her second time winning the honor. She becomes the fourth player in WNBA history to win that honor twice, joining Lisa Leslie, Swin Cash and Maya Moore as the only multi-time winners.

And after a scoreless first half, Ogunbowale got a simple message from head coach Cheryl Miller at half.

“Coach told me take a deep breath and go out there and play my game and that’s what I did,” Ogunbowale told ESPN’s Holly Rowe.

The performance is also one that Ogunbowale hopes can be a bit of a boost down the stretch, and a reminder of all that she can do on the court at her best.

“I mean y’all see it, I just play basketball,” Ogunbowale said.

Caitlin Clark was hunting down a record in the 2nd half

When Caitlin Clark, one of the rookie phenoms in the WNBA this season, was first entering the league, she quickly became a focal point for some trash talk from league veterans and former players. Chief among the talkers: WNBA legend Sue Bird.

So when Clark learned she was two assists shy of tying, and three short of breaking Bird’s WNBA All-Star Game assist record, she couldn’t help but fire off a few feisty jokes during a mid-game interview. And to make matters even better, Bird was on hand, sitting court side and apparently has been trash talking for plenty of the night.

“Oh, OK. It’s Sue’s. OK, then I’m breaking it,” Clark said, wryly. “She’s been talking crap all game. So, then I’m breaking it. If it’s anybody else, if it’s anybody else they can keep it. Not Sue Bird.”

And ESPN play-by-play announcer Ryan Ruocco noted Clark should make sure Bird knows if and when the record is broken. At the time of the interview, there was more than a quarter of the game left to play between the WNBA All Stars and Team USA.

“Thank you for telling me that, that’s really important,” Clark said as the interview wrapped up with all involved sharing a laugh.

Clark and Angel Reese finally got to play as teammates on Saturday

For a few years now, we have seen Clark and Angel Reese compete against one another. Whether at the college level with Iowa and LSU or making the jump to the WNBA, the two stars have had competitive battles between them.

Now, at the WNBA All-Star Game in Phoenix, Clark and Reese are teammates. The WNBA All-Stars are going up against the USA Olympic team ahead of the 2024 Olympics in Paris, bringing some of women’s basketball’s best players together.

Reese was asked about her first-ever experience playing alongside Clark, enjoying the moment. Clark has been a great passer of the ball since entering the WNBA and it’s something Reese has been fond of.

Of course, there is a future for the two playing together. Maybe not at the WNBA level where Indiana and Chicago are happy with two franchise players. But down the road with USA Basketball, both Clark and Reese should be a part of the team, potentially beginning with the 2028 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles.

“It’s so cool, when she gets the ball I’m running looking for the ball because I know she’s gonna throw it,” Reese said during an in-game interview with ESPN. “So, she’s been great to play with. I mean, the future — we’re going to be playing with each other a lot. Hopefully, in 4 years we’ll be Olympians together.”