WNBA All-Star Game Numbers: How Did Angel Reese, Caitlin Clark and A’ja Wilson Perform?

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PHOENIX — Arike Ogunbowale got a little surprise during halftime of Saturday’s WNBA All-Star Game. Team WNBA coach Cheryl Miller was talking about the group’s first-half performance — which saw them trail by two points going into the locker room — but paused in her remarks to point to the Dallas Wings star. Ogunbowale said Miller told her to “take a deep breath and play your game.”

Ogunbowale came out of the locker room and did just that. The former league champion scored her All-Star Game record of 34 points in the second half.

“You saw what happened,” she said, remembering how she had taken Miller’s advice to heart.

Ogunbowale’s scoring barrage earned her her second All-Star MVP and will go down as the night’s most memorable performance. But there were plenty of other moments that electrified the sold-out Phoenix crowd during Team WNBA’s 117-109 victory.

Below you will find a summary and rating of each player who participated.

WNBA team

Appetizer

Nneka Ogwumike: B+

Ogwumike was one of the pace-setters for Team WNBA. She started fast — with 1:35 left in the first quarter, she had scored a then-high eight points. Her 14 points were third-most among Team WNBA players, and she missed only two shots.

DeWanna Bonner: B-

Bonner got the start for Miller’s team, and the Connecticut Sun wing got a nice round of applause from the Phoenix crowd as she returned to the city where she began her career. She finished with 5 points and 4 rebounds, but her All-Star Game will be remembered far more for playing against her fiancée Alyssa Thomas than any individual play.

Jonquel Jones: B

Jones entered Saturday averaging 21 points and 12.3 rebounds in her four previous All-Star Game appearances. Her performance on Saturday was much tamer, as she finished with 6 points, 7 rebounds and 5 assists. Still, Jones gets a B for displaying the versatility that makes her one of the WNBA’s most dominant players. At one point, she completed a pin-point pass from Caitlin Clark and threw a killer three-quarter-court outlet pass to Angel Reese, who rounded it out.

Arike Ogunbowale: A++

Simply put, Ogunbowale posted one of the best 20-minute streaks in All-Star Game history. She made nearly every type of basket — pull-up 3s, off-the-dribble 3s, floaters, one-legged fadeaways. She punctured Team USA’s defensive scheme — U.S. Olympic team coach Cheryl Reeve joked afterward that she shouldn’t have planned on guarding Ogunbowale during games — and surprised her teammates. “It never hurts when Arike gets that hot,” Clark said. “It’s just kind of like you give her the ball and let her do her thing. That’s probably the biggest reason we won, it was because of her.” She joins Maya Moore, Lisa Leslie and Swim Cash as multiple MVP winners.

Caitlin Clark: One-

Did Clark want to miss every 3-pointer in her All-Star Game debut? Of course not. But she had an otherwise strong game. Her 10 assists were just one shy of tying Sue Bird’s All-Star Game record. Early in the second quarter, she watched Aliyah Boston cut to the basket in a sequence reminiscent of the regular season. Clark watched Jones rush the court in transition on the next possession. Her dedication to driving to the basket helped create scoring opportunities, and she finished the game without a turnover — the first time she’d done so in her professional career. Clark was also aggressive on defense, finishing with a game-high five steals.

Reserves

Kelsey Mitchell: One-

Mitchell was quiet in her All-Star debut last July, finishing just 1-for-7 from the field. This time around, she was much more effective, scoring 13 points off the bench. Mitchell hit a long 2-point jumper with time expiring in the third quarter to cap Team WNBA’s 36-point frame. Then she was mobbed by all of her teammates in one of the night’s best moments.

Darling Hamby: N/A

After actually competing in a real game Friday night — the U.S. Olympic three-on-three team played an exhibition game during the evening festivities — Hamby was kept under control Saturday. She played just four minutes, all in the first half. She didn’t score and had two rebounds.

Allisha Gray: B+

If Team WNBA had a first half MVP, it would have been Gray, as she finished with 12 points. Gray finished with 16. The most interesting aspect of her night was that she attempted 10 free throws. Her 10 attempts tied her most in the regular season and tied her most in a WNBA All-Star Game.

Kayla McBrideC+

McBride returned to the All-Star Game for the first time since 2019 and attempted just one shot, which she made. She played just four minutes in the second half and had a relatively quiet night. It was a great first half of the season, but she was the victim of a lot of tough defensive turnovers.

Angel Reese: One-

Reese received one of the loudest ovations during the pregame introductions. Every time she checked in, pulled down a rebound or made a basket, the fans roared again. That led to a big cheer when Reese finished with a 12-point, 11-rebound double-double. Her first hope came on an offensive rebound, in a classic Reese sequence. She played with the same tenacity as she had in regular-season action.

Brionna Jones: B-

All-Star Games aren’t ideal forums for centers because of how often 3-pointers are knocked down and how spread out the gameplay is. Even in an exhibition that featured more defense than typical All-Star Games, Jones played a fairly limited role. Her eight minutes were the second-fewest of anyone on Team WNBA, and her most notable basket came late in the first half on a Clark put-back.

Aliyah Boston: B-

Both of Boston’s field goal attempts came off Clark assists, with the Indiana Fever stars bringing their chemistry to the table. Otherwise, it was a fairly quiet night for the big man, as she was on the court for just nine minutes and grabbed just 2 rebounds.

Team USA

Appetizer

A’ja Wilson: A

For a while, it looked like Wilson might have won MVP. She scored 13 points in 14 minutes in the first half, missing just two shots. The two-time WNBA champion finished with 22 points and was also showered with MVP chants during one of her trips to the free-throw line. It was an excellent Olympic send-off for the WNBA MVP candidate.

Breanna Stewart: A

Though Ogunbowale finished with a WNBA All-Star Game record 34 points, Stewart wasn’t far behind. In fact, Stewart’s final shot attempt (a 3-pointer with 4.2 seconds left) would have tied Ogunbowale’s record. Instead, Stewart finished with 31 points (tying last year’s record) and added 10 rebounds. Her 31 minutes were the most of any player, and she created offensive opportunities both off the dribble and on catch-and-shoot opportunities. Something to watch as the Olympics approach: Stewart made nine 3-pointers, the most of any U.S. Olympian, but she only made three of them. She’s a 22.9 percent 3-point shooter in the regular season.

Chelsea Gray: B

Gray played the role of lead facilitator on Saturday night. She was particularly effective in the first half, recording all five of her assists. However, she was rarely used in the second half, playing just three minutes.


Taurasi was a fan favorite in Phoenix, delivering with (Catalina Fragoso/NBAE via Getty Images)

Diana Taurasi: One-

Taurasi was the last player to be announced in the pregame introductions and received the warmest ovations from her home fans. She made the first shot of the game — a 3-pointer from the left wing — and made four more baskets throughout the night for a total of 14 points. Taurasi also added 6 rebounds and 5 assists, electrifying the Phoenix crowd every moment she could.

Jewell Loyd: C-

Last July, Loyd won the All-Star Game MVP with a then-record 31 points. Well… tonight, her impact was much less. Loyd took just three shots and remained scoreless in 13 minutes of action.

Reserves

Brittney Griner: B

Griner had a solid night. She made five field goals, one of which was a vintage Griner post move around Ogwumike. Her seven rebounds were also the second-most of any American.

Kelsey Plum: B

Plum was Team USA’s first guard off the bench, coming in late in the first quarter. She immediately helped push the pace and showed what she was capable of. In her 13 minutes, she finished with nine points, a solid performance. Perhaps her most notable moment came in the second half, when she made a 3-pointer of her own in the middle of Ogunbowale’s stunning third quarter.

Sabrina Ionescu: B-

Ionescu is a career 37.2 percent 3-point shooter, and she’ll bring her prowess to Team USA. However, she made just 1 of 5 3s on Saturday — her lone attempt came in the fourth quarter. Ionescu played the entire final period. After a stellar first half to the WNBA season, how Reeve uses her is one of the most interesting questions heading into the Paris Games.

Kahleah Copper: B

It was a busy few days for Copper, who, like Taurasi and Griner, was one of the stars of the home team this weekend. In the build-up to her first Olympic appearance, she drew adulation from the Phoenix crowd when she scored her three baskets. Another player who was effective (7 points and 3 steals) in just 12 minutes.

Alyssa Thomas: B-

Compared to last year’s All-Star Game, Thomas was much more productive than last year, when she scored just 2 points with 1 assist and 1 rebound in 10 minutes. Her 18 minutes were the most of any reserve frontcourt player. Perhaps her most memorable moment was grabbing an offensive rebound over her fiancé, Bonner, early in the second half.

Napheesa Necklace: N/A

Collier is expected to play a significant role for Team USA in Paris, but she has not played since July 4 due to a left leg injury. She played just three minutes and made one rebound.

Jackie Young: C+

Young was put in a tough spot as the last Olympian to compete, having sat out the first 16 minutes of the game. But she played a total of 16 minutes and was on the court for the entire fourth quarter. She completed a nice baseline drive as Team USA tried to keep the game within single digits.

(Photo of A’ja Wilson and Caitlin Clark: Juan Ocampo/NBAE via Getty Images)

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