PHOENIX — Arike Ogunbowale set the WNBA All-Star scoring record with 34 points and was named the game’s MVP after helping Team WNBA beat the U.S. Olympic team 117-109 on Saturday night.
It was the second consecutive win for the WNBA All-Star team over the Olympians, who were also defeated in 2021. Ogunbowale was named MVP in that game too.
That loss in 2021 was the only one that the Americans had in 2021 en route to winning their seventh consecutive Olympic gold medal. The U.S. hopes for the same results in Paris later this month. No team in the world could match the depth or talent that the WNBA All-Stars had.
“Is Arike playing for any of these teams we are going to play?” U.S. coach Cheryl Reeve deadpanned.
Saturday’s loss came hours after the U.S. men’s Olympic team rallied to beat South Sudan by one point in an exhibition game in London.
The U.S. will next play Germany in a London exhibition game Tuesday before going to France for the Olympics. The Americans are in a pool with Belgium, Japan and Germany.
“This is going to help us tremendously. We don’t get that many game opportunities,” said Breanna Stewart who had 31 points to lead the U.S. “We can go back and watch the film and focus on how we can continue to be better. It was…
