Patrick Mahomes leads praise for Arike Ogunbowale as WNBA All-Star MVP breaks points record in sensational display
Patrick Mahomes was the first to praise WNBA star Arike Ogunbowale after her record-breaking performance in Saturday’s All-Star game.
The Dallas Wings guard stole the show Saturday night as she led the way for the WNBA All-Stars, including Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese, in a 117-109 win over the U.S. Women’s Olympic Team at the Footprint Center in Phoenix.
Ogunbowale was passed over for the U.S.’s final Olympic roster for the pandemic-postponed 2021 Tokyo Games but went on to win the All-Star MVP award that year.
And history repeated itself this week, as Ogunbowale, who withdrew from Olympic contention this year, secured the MVP title again with a record-breaking performance.
Ogunbowale finished with 34 points, all in the second half, including 21 in the third quarter alone, breaking the WNBA All-Star points record.
Arike Ogunbowale, the WNBA All-Star points record against the US Olympic team on Saturday
As she set the field alight in Phoenix, she took to social media to rave about her performance, earning recognition from three-time Super Bowl winner Patrick Mahomes.
“Yo! @Arike_O is hoopin’ hoopin’,” the Kansas City Chiefs quarterback posted on X, formerly known as Twitter, along with a fire emoji.
Meanwhile, Jemele Hill, a prominent American sports journalist, shared a GIF of a person on fire, captioning it: “Arike right now.”
It took a while for Ogunbowale to catch fire, though, as she surrendered to her All-Star teammates in the first half and missed the two shots she took.
It wasn’t until coach Cheryl Miller woke her up during halftime that Ogunbowale really began to make an impression.
After halftime, after a chat with her Hall of Fame coach, the 5-foot-10 guard emerged as the tallest player on the court, scoring with step-back 3-pointers and lane runners.
Ogunbowale hit 6 of 10 shots in the third quarter, including 5 of 7 from 3-point range. She kept scoring as Team WNBA turned Team USA’s final domestic warmup before the Paris Olympics into a 117-109 loss. She hit eight 3-pointers and finished 10 of 20 from the floor with six assists to become the third two-time MVP in WNBA All-Star Game history.
Her performance earned her recognition from three-time Super Bowl winner Patrick Mahomes
The Kansas City Chiefs quarterback took to social media to praise the MVP
Jemele Hill, a prominent American sports journalist, praised Ogunbowale for being in shape
She finished with 34 points, all of which came in the second half, including 21 in the third quarter
“She was just in the zone and they played some really good defense,” said Caitlin Clark, an Indiana Fever debutant who was known for her hitters during her career at Iowa.
“There’s just nothing you can do in those situations where she’s making step back 3s, one-legged floaters, stuff like that. You, you literally can’t guard her.”
Ogunbowale has shown a knack for making big scores throughout her career, starting in college, when she scored game-winning shots in the Final Four and the national championship game during Notre Dame’s 2018 title run.
Ogunbowale has been one of the WNBA’s leading scorers during five seasons with the Dallas Wings, averaging 22.3 points per game this season. She was the All-Star Game MVP the last time Team USA played Team WNBA in an Olympic warmup, scoring 26 points.