Dallas Wings point guard Arike Ogunbowale made history by setting a WNBA All-Star Game record with 34 points earning her a second All-Star Game MVP as she led Team WNBA to a 117-109 win over Team USA at Footprint Center.
She was also named the All-Star Game Most Valuable Player, the second in her career having been named MVP in the 2021 WNBA All-Star game.
Despite having zero points at halftime, Ogunbowale scored a whooping 21 of her 34 points in the third quarter alone. She exploded in the third quarter, hitting 6 of 10 shots, including draining 5 of 7 three-pointers.
Ogunbowale finished the game on fire, sinking 8 three-pointers, going 10 for 20 from the field, and adding 6 assists. This dominant performance cemented her place in history as a two-time WNBA All-Star Game MVP, the third player to achieve this feat.
Reacting to her performance, the player of Nigerian descent who was left out of the Team USA women’s team to the Olympics says her performance is a constant reminder of the hard work she puts in daily.
“It’s just a testimony to my hard work,” Ogunbowale said. “Regardless of win, lose or draw, I’m just going to play my game and that’s what I’ve been doing for Dallas. This is good to get a win, even though it doesn’t count.”
The 27-year-old also credited coach Cheryl Miller’s half-time pep talk for her second-half extraordinary performance, “I wasn’t expecting her to say my name — she was talking to the team, but pointing at me,” Ogunbowale said. “She just told me to take a deep breath and play my game.”