On Wednesday, the WNBA All-Star Game returned for the first time in two years with a new Olympic-inspired setup. When the final buzzer sounded, the fans were not disappointed.
Team WNBA defeated Team USA 93-85 behind Wings guard Arike Ogunbowale's 26 points. The first-time All-Star earned home game MVP honors after making 10 of 18 from the field and leading the WNBA to a strong fourth-quarter finish.
The game pitted the rest of the WNBA All-Star team against the 12 members of the U.S. team heading to Tokyo for the Olympics, and it was a close battle from beginning to end. Team WNBA held a 44-43 lead at halftime, but the game entered the fourth quarter tied.
Mercury center Brittney Greiner was Team USA's leading scorer with 17 points on 8-of-10 shooting. Storm forward Brianna Stewart had 15 points and six rebounds, and Lynx center Sylvia Fowles had 12 points, seven rebounds and two blocked shots. They were the only members of Team USA to score in double figures.
The key moment came midway through the fourth quarter when Ogunbowale hit a step-back 3-pointer while being fouled, extending the WNBA lead to six points. Team USA never got within four points of him over Team WNBA from that point on.
Ogunbowale scored nine of his 26 points in the fourth quarter.
This year's All-Star Game will be the first time the WNBA has hosted the same year as the Olympics, and was expected to be the most competitive game in the league's 25-year history. Several WNBA players have spoken out against the selection process for the Olympic team, adding to the belief that this All-Star Game will be taken more seriously than in previous years.
The WNBA season will resume on August 15th and the playoffs will begin on September 23rd. Team USA will begin its quest for gold in Tokyo after playing two more exhibition games this week, with the first group stage game set for July 27 against Nigeria.
More WNBA coverage:
