By Dorothy J. Gentry
Sports Editor
Photos: Charles “City” Gbadebo
Records were made. Records were broken. History was made. And a fun time was had by all at the 2024 WNBA All-Star Game.
Dallas Wings guard Arike Ogunbowale was named the 2024 WNBA All-Star Game Most Valuable Player after setting records for most points in a quarter, half and game.
She helped lead Team WNBA to the 117-109 win over Team USA, which was made up of the WNBA players who will represent the USA in the Paris Olympics later this summer. TheAll-Star Game was held Saturday night at Footprint Center in Phoenix, Ariz.
Ogunbowale, who was making her fourth All-Star Game appearance, scored a single-quarter record 21 points in the third before adding 13 in the fourth to finish with a record 34 points in the game. All 34 of her record-setting points came in the second half to establish a single-half standard.
Team WNBA trailed by two at the half, 54-52, before outscoring Team USA 36-25 in the third quarter, sparked by Ogunbowale. Team WNBA, which hadn’t led since early in the second quarter, regained the lead at the 8:08 mark in the third off an Ogunbowale 3-points shot, and they led the rest of the game.
Following the conclusion of the game, Ogunbowale was named MVP, marking the second time she earned the award. Ogunbowale also earned the honor at the 2021 All-Star Game, which also featured a Team WNBA vs. Team USA format. She becomes the fourth player in WNBA history to earn multiple All-Star Game MVP trophies, joining Maya Moore (2018, 2017, 2015), Swin Cash (2011, 2009) and Lisa Leslie (2002, 2001, 1999).
Friday Night Skills Challenge
Before Saturday’s Game, the WNBA put on their Friday Night events which included the Skills Challenge and the 3-point competition.
Allisha Gray of the Atlanta Dream made history by becoming the first All-Star participant to win both the skills and 3-point competitions. The guard defeated Phoenix Mercury star Sophie Cunningham in the finals of the skills competition and New York Liberty center Jonquel Jones by one point in the shooting competition.
Gray, a former Dallas Wings player who was also the 2017 WNBA Rookie of the year, is also the first player to receive tons of cash during the All-Star weekend. The WNBA awards $2,575 to each competition’s winner as outlined in the 2020 collective bargaining agreement.
However, for the first time, Aflac committed $55,000 to each competition’s winner. Gray ended up taking home $110,000.
“I was warmed from the skills challenge,” Gray said. “I was running all over the court, so I was able to get my legs and stuff. I was fatigued a little bit from the skills challenge, but I was able to lock in because I knew another 55K was on the line.”
All WNBA teams will now break for a month for the 2024 Summer Olympic Games, which includes Dallas Wings forward Satou Sabally representing Team Germany. The Wings resume play after the break on Aug. 16 at home against the Connecticut Sun. Tipoff is slated for 8:30 p.m. CT, with the game airing nationally on ION.
Dorothy Gentry is an award-winning journalist, PR pro and educator. A University of North Texas alum, she is the Sports Editor for Texas Metro News, Garland Journal and I Messenger.
