USC had the coach. Notre Dame had the star player who took over. The WNBA All-Stars defeated Team USA in the WNBA’s midseason showcase, one week before the start of the 2024 Paris Olympics. Some people will say, reasonably enough, that this was a tune-up game for Team USA and therefore not a sign for real concerns heading into France. However, plenty of other people will look at this result and conclude that the right players were not fully picked for the United States heading into the Summer Games. At any rate, USC legend Cheryl Miller and Notre Dame legend Arike Ogunbowale — both national champions in college — helped the WNBA All-Stars give Team USA a needed dose of realism before the Olympics. After Team USA was torched by Ogunbowale’s 34 points, the Olympic team knows it will have to be a lot better on defense.
Fighting Irish Wire reacted to Ogunbowale’s masterpiece, with Miller looking on approvingly from the Team WNBA bench:
Notre Dame legend arike ogunbowale didn’t think she had a shot at making Team USA for the 2024 Olympics. She saved herself the frustration by withdrawing from the pool of potential players early. But when she represented Team WNBA against the same U.S. Olympic team in the WNBA All-Star Game in Phoenix, she proved she should be going to Paris.
After being held scoreless in the first half, Ogunbowale set a WNBA All-Star record with 34 points, all in the second half, to lead Team WNBA to a 117-109 victory. She scored 24 of those points on eight 3-pointers.
Irish Wire added that “Jewell Loyd, the 2023 All-Star MVP, failed to score on three field-goal attempts. Her U.S. teammate, Jackie Young, made a single field goal on five attempts. Kayla McBride, the fourth former Irish player in the game, made her only shot attempt for Team WNBA, which came from 3-point range.”
USC and Notre Dame are rivals, but on this night, Trojans and Irish banded together to create a memorable women’s basketball moment.
Visit our friends at Fighting Irish Wire, Buffaloes Wire, and Ducks Wire. Follow our newest sites, UW Huskies Wire and UCLA Wire.
Check out more NFL draft coverage with the USA TODAY Sports NFL Draft Hub.
