- Slug: Sports–Reese, Clark All-Star. 680 words.
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By Aya Abdeen
Cronkite News
PHOENIX – In a star-studded matchup between Team WNBA and Team USA, a pair of rookies consistently got the loudest cheers from a sellout crowd of 16,407 fans at Footprint Center.
Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark and Chicago Sky forward Angel Reese were prepared for their big moment Saturday night in the All-Star spotlight. After facing off against each other for the past few years at the college level, the rookies teamed up in a 117-109 win.
Clark scored four points on 2-for-9 shooting and went 0-for-7 from 3-point range in her start,. Reese came off the bench to record a double-double with 12 points and 11 rebounds. All-Star Game Most Valuable Player Arike Ogunbowale paced Team WNBA with 34 points – all scored in the second half – and six assists.
“It was great,” Clark said postgame. “Honestly, it was a lot of fun. I thought we came in here and competed hard. That was a thing like we knew they were gonna want to win. So we came out with the same mindset of wanting to win. We’re down two at halftime, and I thought we started the third quarter really strong.
“That’s what kind of set the tone for that whole second half, and then never hurts when Arike (Ogunbowale) gets really hot like that. It’s just give her the ball and let her do her thing. And it’s probably the main reason we won was because of her. Shout out to Arike (Ogunbowale).”
Fans erupted when the public announcer said Clark and Reese’s names before tip-off, and they continued cheers whenever Clark shot a 3-pointer. At the end of the first quarter, Reese grabbed an offensive rebound and scored a putback to give Team WNBA the lead over Team USA, which also prompted loud cheers from the fans. In the fouth quarter, Clark assisted Reese on a layup, one of her 10 assists to break the All-Star Game record for rookies.
“I knew who I was coming into this league,” Reese said. “If I didn’t think I was ready myself, I wouldn’t put my name into the draft. I have a great team around me. I better myself and knew what I could do and come to this league. I don’t knock this league at all, it was very competitive. I came in with a mindset. I just want to go hard every single day and make my mark in what I can do. I have a lot more than to grow, and I’m not satisfied where I am right now, but trying to still give myself some grace for where I am right now”
Reese’s attitude was not only recognized by her teammates but also by her competitors. Team USA forward A’ja Wilson acknowledged the impressive poise and performance of the rookies, emphasizing the significance of their achievements at this pivotal moment in the season.
“I feel like they handled it well,” Wilson said. “Just like a lot of rookies. This is a big moment. This is the All-Star break, (which) means that you’re doing something good at the halfway mark. They just play their game, they were who they were, and that’s all you can ask for.
“It’s always good when you have rookies in here to just get a taste of the All-Star Game and just have fun out there. It’s a good fan experience. I’m glad the fans got to see them play on the same team. I know that’s a lot when they’re on their separate teams so they did it pretty good.”
As the Rookie of the Year race continues to be competitive, Clark and Reese have broken league records in their first year. Reese had 15 consecutive double-doubles in the first half of the regular season, while Clark broke the single-game record of assists in a game with 19.
“They had some synergy and the maturity that they have going in, not just being here at All-Star (Weekend) but managing all of the influx that they get as the two rookies that are really getting a lot of attention,” Seattle Storm forward Nneka Ogwumike said. “Of course, like being celebrated too, I think that they had fun today and I think that’s the main goal, especially for first-time All-Stars is to enjoy the experience, and they helped us win, too.”
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