The 2021 WNBA All-Star Game ruled. The new format had Team USA play its first exhibition game against 12 WNBA All-Stars in a perfect blend of competition, entertainment, and pure beef. The league set the stage for Olympic snubs to get their revenge on a national platform with everyone watching, and of course, Arike Ogunbowale made this night hers.
The Dallas Wings guard was unbelievable on Wednesday night, pouring in 26 points on 10-for-18 shooting against the team that cut her just three weeks prior. The WNBA All-Stars beat the American team hunting for a seventh consecutive gold medal, 93-85, and Ogunbowale was the game’s MVP.
As much as she — and other Team WNBA participants — tried to downplay the significance of this event, her revenge was apparent. The WNBA’s reigning leading scorer wanted this game and she took it. Ogunbowale tore Team USA apart the only way she knows how: cold-blooded buckets. She connected on five three-point shots, including this four-point play.
.@Arike_O with the 4-POINT PLAY
— WNBA (@WNBA) July 15, 2021
She just… kept… draining them.
ARIK33333 WAS MADE FOR THIS pic.twitter.com/OmJNC9Vgi9
— Arike Ogunbowale Stan Account (@DallasWings) July 15, 2021
Here’s a whole montage!
Check out the 2021 @ATT All-Star MVP @Arike_O highlights from her stellar All-Star performance
— WNBA (@WNBA) July 15, 2021
To add to the fun, the WNBA realized that letting players tweet during timeouts and while they were sitting on the bench would make for incredible entertainment. It was hilarious, and Ogunbowale gave us live commentary after she botched a layup.
I smoked that layup
— Arike Ogunbowale (@Arike_O) July 14, 2021
https://twitter.com/Arike_O/status/1415452100159434754
Two months from now, this game won’t mean anything. The Americans are highly favored to win another gold medal with a stacked lineup featuring six of the last 11 WNBA MVPs. Brittney Griner, Breanna Stewart, A’ja Wilson, Diana Taurasi, Sue Bird, Sylvia Fowles, and more are going to get the job done in Tokyo.
But for right now, USA Basketball’s decision-makers have to be thinking about their decision to cut one of the world’s most prolific scorers, and that should sit well with Ogunbowale. This was also the best three-years-in-advance audition anyone’s ever put on. With Bird and Taurasi likely playing in their final Olympics, backcourt spots will be there for the taking in 2024. Ogunbowale should bring the tweet receipts from this one to tryouts.
The big takeaway is that Ogunbowale might be the most clutch basketball player on the planet. She’s hit buzzer-beaters to win the Final Four and national championship in the same NCAA tournament, countless fadeaways with the clock expiring in the WNBA, and now stepped up to put on one of the best revenge games ever.
If you give Ogunbowale a big stage, expect to get your feelings hurt.
Source: https://uproxx.com/dimemag/arike-ogunbowale-team-usa-wnba-all-star/