The WNBA All-Star Game is finally here, and Saturday’s event, as usual, features the WNBA’s best and brightest. But this year, with the Olympics kicking off next week, USA Basketball Women’s Olympic Team will take on the WNBA All-Stars in preparation for the Paris Games. Here’s how the teams stack up:
Follow along with Yahoo Sports’ Cassandra Negley for live updates and highlights as WNBA All-Star weekend continues on Saturday.
Live45 updates
Record watch, via Across the Timeline:
— Ogunbowale holds the scoring record with 32 points, one more than Jewell Loyd last year. Stewart has 31.
— Allisha Gray’s five steals are off tying the record of six set by Ruthie Bolton in 2001
— Caitlin Clark’s 10 assists are one off of tying Sue Bird’s record of 11 set in 2017
There’s 30.6 on the clock in an All-Star game and Nneka Ogwumike is talking to the ref about why that was a foul. MVP chants ring out from an arena corner for A’ja Wilson shooting free throws.
At halftime, USA was 4-14 (28.6%) from 3 and WNBA was 3-17 (17.6%). They’re still shooting about the same percentages as each other (10-29 USA, 11-33 WNBA), but Arike going off tilted this game in the third quarter and USA couldn’t come back. Ogunbowale is 7-11 from 3 and 9-18 overall.
Notably, Clark is sitting at 10 assists, one shy of tying the WNBA record in an All-Star game set by Sue Bird, who is in attendance. Still 2:48 to play.
OH MY GOSH ARIKE, THEY HAVE FAMILIES
While Arike Ogunbowale looks to be on her way to winning WNBA All-Star Game MVP, some might be wondering why she’s not on Team USA. She says it’s about politics, not about a player’s game.
“I pretty much had an idea that I wouldn’t be on it,” Ogunbowale said on the “Nightcap” podcast. “I just felt the vibes. When it comes to that stuff, it really doesn’t have much to do with your game.”
Caitlin Clark vs Sabrina 1v1 is also fun. Clark beats her to the basket there and it’s an 11-point WNBA lead
Arike Ogunbowale is certainly making a statement against Team USA. 21 points after 3 quarters!
On the broadcast, Caitlin Clark says Arike Ogunbowale is probably the best 1v1 player in the league.
Team WNBA mobs Kelsey Mitchell in the corner after her buzzer 3 puts them up, 88-79, heading into the fourth quarter. It is being reviewed.
Team USA playing a little loose with the ball. Really questionable passes leading to 11 Team WNBA steals. Six are in this quarter alone.
Probably shouldn’t keep letting Ogunbowale set up shop there. Or there. Crowd is up and loud after her fourth 3 on six attempts. Up to 17 points in a jiffy this quarter. Only Team USA’s Wilson and Stewie (18 each) have more total.
There is a small contingent trying to start “USA USA” chants behind the Team WNBA bench. Probably the line of people in USA jerseys sticking out in a wave of orange, white and No. 22 Clark jerseys.
Arike with the steal, but can’t hit the 3. Wilson scores in transition to snap the WNBA streak. Alyssa Thomas and DeWanna bonnern are out on the floor together again and guarding each other.
It’s WNBA 61, USA 56 coming out of this timeout. Was a 9-0 run for WNBA.
Team WNBA came out HOT, forcing Cheryl Reeve to take a Team USA timeout ninety seconds into the frame. Jones blocked Stewie, her Liberty teammate. Ogunbowale, the 2021 star against Team USA who took herself out of consideration this national cycle because of “politics,” gets on the board with five points, and Clark assists on three buckets for nine in the game. She’s three away from breaking the All-Star game record
Halftime!
Enjoy it like Sophie Cunningham!
HALFTIME : Team USA 54, Team WNBA 52
Team USA is led by A’ja Wilson (13p/4r/2a/2s, 5-7 overall with a 3) and Breanna Stewart (14p/5r/1a, 5-8 overall, 1-4 3FG). They are the new leading generation of the team. Taurasi has eight points shooting 3-5.
It’s Allisha Gray’s weekend, though. She leads Team WNBA with 12 points, but shooting 2-6. Clark has six assists and Reese has seven rebounds. The rooks doing their thing.
Neither team is shooting well from deep. The team that can start doing that should pull away in this one.
Team WNBA sets up for a deep Caitlin Clark 3 to end the half. Brionna Jones cleans up the miss and Team USA leads, 54-52, at the half.
Aliyah Boston over A’ja Wilson must make the South Carolina fans confused. And then Clark pulls up to attempt a 3, but decides against it. She appears to smile and mutter a, um, four-letter word.
The record for assists in an All-Star game (any format) is 11 set by Sue Bird in 2017 when it was Western vs. Eastern, according to Across the Timeline data. Bird (2009), Layshia Clarendon (2017) and Chelsea Gray (2019) have each notched 10.
Clark is at five with 2:16 until the half.
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