PHOENIX — The last time the U.S. Women’s National Team snubbed Arike Ogunbowale, she made sure it paid on the basketball court.
Three years later, the circumstances are a little different. The mission remains the same.
Once again, the 27-year-old Ogunbowale will not represent her country in the upcoming Paris Olympics, though it can’t be completely considered a snub since she pulled her name from consideration months in advance. The Dallas Wings guard said on a podcast earlier this summer that there were “politics” surrounding the U.S. team’s selection process.
Ogunbowale didn’t back down from that feeling on Friday, though she said that wasn’t the rationale for pulling out of the process early.
“Women’s basketball, in general, and a lot of things, in general, are political,” she said. “I just made the decision on what I thought was right. I’m going to use the break to rest.”
Before the 5-foot-8 guard gets a few weeks off, she’ll lead a team of WNBA All-Stars against Team USA on Saturday during All-Star weekend. In 2021, when the game had a similar format, Ogunbowale scored 26 points and was named the game’s MVP after leading her team to a 93-85 win, showing the U.S. squad it still had work to do.
Ogunbowale said her MVP performance three years ago was a great moment - and hopes there’s another one coming this Saturday - but isn’t viewing this year’s game as some sort of vindication.
“I don’t think we have anything to prove - we’re here, we’re All-Stars,” she said. “But it’s just a little more because they’re about to go to Paris. They’re training, this is like a practice game. It’s just a more competitive vibe. Obviously, they want to win and go into the Olympics right.
“We’re competitiors, too. We want to win just because we want to win.”
Ogunbowale is in her sixth WNBA season and a four-time All-Star. She’s averaging 22.3 points, 4.8 rebounds and 5.2 assists this year. Though she’s not on Team USA, she said she’ll never complain about being involved in the league’s showcase weekend.
“It’s never guaranteed,” Ogunbowale said. “The league keeps getting better and better every year, so you have to step your game up. Any time you get that call, it’s special.”
Ogunbowale and the rest of the WNBA All-Stars will be coached by women’s basketball legend Cheryl Miller. The 60-year-old said players have made it clear to her that they’re ready to compete.
“I found out the team I’m coaching wants to beat the brakes off our Olympic team,” Miller said. “I was like, OK, now the pressure is on. Now we’ve got a game, folks.”
After her 2021 MVP performance, Ogunbowale took the high road.
“I think that shows that out of 144 players (in the WNBA) everybody’s good,” she said at the time. “We wanted to get Team USA ready for Tokyo. They are representing all of us.”
This year, Ogunbowale will be joined on the WNBA All-Stars by rookies Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese, who also weren’t selected for the national team. In particular, Clark’s omission was widely criticized because of the massive wave of popularity she’s brought to women’s basketball.
Ogunbowale said that with Clark and Reese on the team, she expects that the WNBA squad might be just as popular as the U.S. team during Saturday’s showdown in Phoenix.
“I’m a fan of basketball in general,” Ogunbowale said. “Kelsey, Caitlin, Angel, Neeka, K-Mac - really everyone on the team has their thing. That’s why they’re All-Stars. I love watching their games when I’m not playing against them, but just to be on their team, to play with them, is dope.”
Ogunbowale said she’s ready to be the star on Saturday, but only if it’s needed. If the game comes down to the final shot, she’s confident any of her team’s 12 players are capable.
“We have the luxury of whoever’s hands it ends up in, it’s probably going in,” Ogunbowale said. “We’ve got great players. I’d let any of them shoot it. I would shoot it. Whoever’s hot that day.”
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