Regardless of being one of many prime 5 scorers within the WNBA this season, Arike Ogunbowale was not among the many 12 gamers chosen for the USA ladies’s basketball staff for the 2024 Summer time Olympics in Paris.
On Saturday evening, the Dallas Wings guard and former Notre Dame star confirmed in as emphatic of a means as she might have that her omission may need been a mistake.
Enjoying in opposition to the staff she didn’t make, Ogunbowale torched Crew USA in Saturday evening’s WNBA All-Star Sport in Phoenix, scoring a game-high 34 factors as Crew WNBA defeated the American Olympic squad 117-109. Ogunbowale’s 34 factors have been an all-star recreation report.
REQUIRED READING:Arike Ogunbowale performs spoiler to Crew USA for second straight 12 months at All-Star Sport
She was not simply productive however environment friendly, making 10 of her 20 shot makes an attempt, together with a outstanding eight of 13 3-pointers. She additionally had six assists on an evening by which she had a number of highlight-reel-worthy performs.
For her efforts, she was named the all-star recreation MVP.
Whereas a lot of the controversy across the Crew USA roster has centered round Indiana Fever rookie Caitlin Clark, who additionally did not make the squad, Ogunbowale was possible the larger snub.
Heading into the WNBA all-star break, she was averaging 22.3 factors, 5.2 assists and a pair of.7 steals per recreation. She’s third amongst all WNBA gamers in scoring. Of the league’s prime six scorers, she’s the one one who didn’t make the Olympic staff.
Final month, Ogunbowale mentioned in a podcast interview with Chad “Ochocinco” Johnson and Gilbert Arenas that she eliminated her title from the Crew USA participant pool “months in the past” and that there’s “politics” with the choice of the ultimate Olympic roster.
“Me being me, I simply felt the vibes,” she mentioned. “In the case of (the Olympic trials), it actually doesn’t have a lot to do together with your recreation. It’s actually about who they really feel suits with the staff.”
Saturday evening wasn’t the primary time Ogunbowale has balled out in opposition to Crew USA within the WNBA All-Star Sport, both.
Within the weeks main as much as the 2020 Summer time Olympics in Tokyo in 2021, Ogunbowale scored 26 factors and earned recreation MVP honors within the WNBA All-Star Crew’s 93-85 victory in opposition to Crew USA.