WNBA All-Star Game updates (2024)

PHOENIX — The WNBA All-Stars were familiar with this script. After being underdogs in the 2021 midseason showcase when facing off against Team USA, the “other” All-Stars entered the 2024 event projected to lose by 6.5 points.

They never once even trailed by that many.

Despite being behind for much of the first quarter, Team WNBA stayed close early and then took the lead for good behind an explosive performance from Arike Ogunbowale in the second half to win 117-109. The 2021 All-Star MVP went scoreless in the first half but made up for it after the break, putting on an All-Star Game show for the ages with 32 points in the final 20 minutes.

Ogunbowale shot 6-of-10 in the third quarter to go along with four assists and two steals as Team WNBA turned a two-point halftime deficit into a nine-point lead. The pyrotechnics didn’t stop in the fourth for the Dallas Wings star.

The four-time All-Star added three more triples in the final period, the last one giving her the record for most points in an All-Star game with 32. To put it plainly, she scored more points in one half than any previous All-Star had scored in the full 40 minutes.

With that 3-pointer, Arike Ogunbowale has set a new WNBA All-Star Game single-game scoring record, with 32 points.

The craziest part is she's scored all her points in the second half.

It's not quite Sabrina Ionescu in the 2023 3-point shootout, but Arike Ogunbowale has been absolutely unconscious in this second half.

29 points in counting since intermission on an increasing difficulty of shots, and all her teammates can do is shake their heads on the bench.

With 6:36 to play in the fourth quarter, Caitlin Clark strung the USA defense out with a high screen, then drove to the basket and dumped the ball off with a bounce pass to – who else – Angel Reese for the finish.

The WNBA All-Stars have extended their lead to nine and could go up by as many as 12 after last night's hero Gray drew yet another three-shot foul.

The Team WNBA bench fully emptied as Kelsey Mitchell hit a long, 2-point jumper in the left corner as time expired in the third quarter.

After trailing by two points at halftime, Team WNBA scored 36 points in the third quarter with Arike Ogunbowale scoring 21 points in the period. They lead by nine points entering the fourth quarter.

In ESPN's last in-game interview, Ryan Ruocco told Caitlin Clark that she was just two assists off the All Star Game record (11). When Ryan asked if she wanted to know who had set the record, Caitlin said sure. It's Sue Bird. Clark joked that since Sue has been chirping throughout the game at her, that she would break Sue's record then.

She has one more quarter to do so...

We're getting shades of 2021 in the third quarter, as Arike Ogunbowale has 17 points in the period as well as a steal and a couple highlights from her dribble package.

The 2021 All-Star MVP has her team up five and her bench on its feet with 1:53 to play in the quarter.

One WNBA All-Star record that is within striking distance of falling: Single-game assists.

With 3:46 to go in the third quarter, Caitlin Clark needs only three more assists to set a new WNBA All-Star Game record. She has 9 so far.

If Breanna Stewart and A'ja Wilson are as efficient in Paris as they are tonight, Team USA will have no issues in the tournament.

Wilson has 18 points on 7-of-11 shooting. Stewart has 16 points on 5-of-10 shooting.

One lineup change to start the second half is Alyssa Thomas in place of Diana Taurasi, which gave us the wonderful visual of DeWanner Bonner forced to guard her fiancé in the post.

Thomas got the offensive board over Bonner, but Team WNBA has been a on 9-0 run since that possession, up 61-56 and prompting a timeout from USA coach Cheryl Reeve.

As you watch tonight's halftime show tonight from Phoenix, here is something to keep in mind: ESPN is seeing a lot of social posts asking why they don’t have a daily show devoted to women’s basketball on one of their platforms during the WNBA season.

Those questions are being asked in-house too. It’s an absolutely legit question, a missed opportunity, and one a smart organization would rectify next season.

The WNBA has had 16 games so far this season top the one million viewership.

That’s already a record and one that will continue to grow after the Olympic break. If you want to crow that your company is a significant reason the game has grown in the U.S. — and ESPN/Disney has been a force in the growth— this is a next step if you are truly all in.

Team USA leads Team WNBA 54-52. Breanna Stewart leads all scorers with 14 points, but A'ja Wilson isn't far behind with 13.

A night after winning both the 3-point contest and skills challenge, Allisha Gray has 12 points to lead Team WNBA.

Overall, way more defense is being played than a normal All-Star Game. Also less effective 3-point shooting than most All-Star Games, as the teams are a combined 7-of-31 from deep.