At halftime of Saturday’s WNBA All-Star Game, Arike Ogunbowale received a bit of a surprise. Team WNBA coach Cheryl Miller was talking about the group’s first half performance — which saw it enter the locker room trailing by two points — but paused amid her comments and pointed at the Dallas Wings star. Ogunbowale said Miller told her to “take a deep breath and play your game.”

Coming out of the locker room, Ogunbowale did. The former league scoring champion collected all of her All-Star Game-record 34 points in the second half.

“You guys saw what happened,” she said, reflecting on how she took Miller’s advice to heart.

Ogunbowale’s scoring barrage saw her claim her second All-Star MVP and will go down as the most memorable performance of the night. But there were plenty of other moments that delighted the sellout Phoenix crowd during Team WNBA’s 117-109 victory.

Here’s a breakdown and grade for every player who participated.

Team WNBA

Starters

Nneka Ogwumike: B+

Ogwumike was among the tone-setters for Team WNBA. She got off to a fast start — with 1:35 left in the first quarter, she had scored what was then a game-high 8 points. Her 14 points were the third-most of any Team WNBA participant and she missed only two shots.

DeWanna Bonner: B-

Bonner got the start for Miller’s team, and the Connecticut Sun wing received a nice applause from the Phoenix crowd as she returned to the city where she began her career. She finished with 5 points and 4 rebounds, but her All-Star Game will be remembered far more because she competed against her fianceé Alyssa Thomas than any singular play.

Jonquel Jones: B

Jones entered Saturday averaging 21 points and 12.3 rebounds in her prior four All-Star Game appearances. Her performance on Saturday was far more tame, as she finished with 6 points, 7 rebounds and 5 assists. Still, Jones gets a B for flashing the versatility that makes her one of the WNBA’s most dominant players. At one point, she finished a pin-point pass from Caitlin Clark, and threw a great three-quarter court outlet pass to Angel Reese, who finished.

Arike Ogunbowale: A++

Simply put, Ogunbowale recorded one of the greatest 20-minute stretches in All-Star Game history. She made almost every kind of basket — pull-up 3s, off-the-dribble 3s, floaters, one-legged fadeaways. She pierced Team USA’s defensive gameplan — U.S. Olympic team coach Cheryl Reeve joked afterward she better not have to plan to guard Ogunbowale in the games — and wowed her teammates. “It never hurts when Arike gets really hot like that,” Clark said. “It’s just kind of like just give her the ball, and let her do her thing. That’s probably the main reason we won, was because of her.” She joins Maya Moore, Lisa Leslie and Swin Cash as multiple-time MVP-winners.

Caitlin Clark: A-

Did Clark want to miss all her 3-pointers in her All-Star Game debut? Of course not. But she played an otherwise strong game. Her 10 assists were just one shy of tying Sue Bird’s All-Star Game record. Early in the second quarter, she found Aliyah Boston slicing to the basket in a sequence reminiscent of the regular season. Clark found Jones streaking up court in transition on the next possession. Her commitment to pushing the basket helped open up scoring opportunities throughout, and she ended the game without a turnover — the first time she has done that in her professional career. Clark also was aggressive on defense, finishing with a game-high 5 steals.

Kelsey Mitchell: A-

Mitchell was quiet in her All-Star debut last July, finishing that contest only 1-of-7 from the field. This time around, she was far more effective, scoring 13 points off the bench. Mitchell hit a long 2-point jumper as time expired in the third quarter, capping off Team WNBA’s 36-point frame. Afterward, she was mobbed by all of her teammates in one of the best moments of the night.

Dearica Hamby: N/A

After actually competing in a real game Friday night — the U.S. Olympic three-on-three team played an exhibition during the evening festivities — Hamby was load-managed on Saturday. She played only four minutes, all in the first half. She went scoreless and had two rebounds.

Allisha Gray: B+

If Team WNBA had a first-half MVP, it would have been Gray, as she finished with 12 points. Gray ended up with 16. The most interesting facet of her night was that she attempted 10 free throws. Her 10 attempts tied her regular-season high and tied the most in a WNBA All-Star Game.

Kayla McBride C+

Returning to the All-Star Game for the first time since 2019, McBride attempted only a single shot, which she made. She played only four second-half minutes and had a relatively quiet night. It’s been a stellar first half of the season, but she was the victim of a lot of tough defensive switches.

Angel Reese: A-

Reese received one of the loudest ovations during pregame introductions. Every time she checked in, corralled a rebound or finished a basket, fans roared again. That made for a lot of cheers as Reese finished with a 12-point, 11-rebound double-double. Her first hoop came on an offensive rebound, in a vintage Reese sequence. She played with the same tenaciousness that she does in regular season action.

Brionna Jones: B-

All-Star Games aren’t an ideal forum for centers because of how frequently 3-pointers get chucked up and how spread-out the gameplay is. Even in an exhibition that featured more defense than normal All-Star Games, Jones played a pretty limited role. Her eight minutes were the second-fewest of anyone on Team WNBA and her most notable basket came at the end of the first half on a Clark put-back.

Aliyah Boston: B-

Both of Boston’s field-goal attempts were off of Clark assists, with the Indiana Fever stars carrying over their chemistry. Other than that, it was a pretty quiet night for the big as she saw the court for only nine minutes and grabbed just 2 rebounds.

Team USA

Starters

A’ja Wilson: A

For a while it seemed like Wilson could have won MVP. She scored 13 points in 14 first-half minutes, missing only two shots. The two-time WNBA champion finished with 22 points and was also showered with MVP chants during one of her trips to the free throw line. It was an excellent Olympic sendoff for the WNBA MVP front-runner.

Breanna Stewart: A

Although Ogunbowale finished with a WNBA All-Star Game record 34 points, Stewart wasn’t far behind. In fact, Stewart’s final shot attempt (a 3-pointer with 4.2 seconds to play) would have tied Ogunbowale’s mark. Instead, Stewart finished with 31 points (tying last year’s record) and added 10 rebounds. Her 31 minutes were the most of any player, and she created offense off both the dribble and catch-and-shoot opportunities. One thing to watch for as the Olympics approach: Stewart took nine 3-pointers, the most of any U.S. Olympian, but she made just three of her attempts. She has been a 22.9 percent 3-point shooter in the regular season.

Chelsea Gray: B

Gray played the role of a lead facilitator on Saturday evening. She was especially effective in the first half, where she recorded all five of her assists. She was seldom used in the second, however, playing only three minutes.

Taurasi was a fan favorite in Phoenix and delivered with (Catalina Fragoso / NBAE via Getty Images)

Diana Taurasi: A-

Taurasi was the final player announced in pregame introductions and received the warmest of ovations from her home fans. She hit the game’s first shot — a 3-pointer on the left wing — and made four more baskets the rest of the night for 14 total points. Taurasi also added 6 rebounds and 5 assists, thrilling the Phoenix crowd every moment she could.

Jewell Loyd: C-

Last July, Loyd won All-Star Game MVP scoring a then-record 31 points. Well… tonight her impact was far more muted. Loyd took only three shots and went scoreless in 13 minutes of action.

Reserves

Brittney Griner: B

Griner had a solid night. She made five field goals, one of them being a vintage Griner post move around Ogwumike. Her seven rebounds were also the second-most of any American.

Kelsey Plum: B

Plum was the first Team USA guard to come off the bench, entering late in the first quarter. Immediately, she helped push pace and showed what she brings to her side. In her 13 minutes, she finished with 9 points for a good showing. Her most notable moment might have come in the second half, when she hit a 3-pointer of her own in the middle of Ogunbowale’s stellar third quarter.

Sabrina Ionescu: B-

Ionescu is a career 37.2 percent 3-point shooter, and she will bring her prowess to Team USA. However, she made only 1 of 5 3s on Saturday — her lone make coming in the fourth quarter. Ionescu played the entirety of the final period. After a stellar first half of the WNBA season, how Reeve uses her is one of the most interesting questions leading into the Paris Games.

Kahleah Copper: B

It’s been a busy few days for Copper, who like Taurasi and Griner was one of the home-team stars of the weekend. Leading into her first Olympic appearance, she received adoration from the Phoenix crowd when she scored her three baskets. Another player who was effective (7 points and 3 steals) in only 12 minutes.

Alyssa Thomas: B-

Compared to last year’s All-Star Game, Thomas was far more productive than last year when she scored just 2 points with 1 assist and 1 rebound in 10 minutes. Her 18 minutes were the most of any reserve frontcourt player. Her most memorable moment might have been grabbing an offensive rebound over her fianceé, Bonner, early in the second half.

Napheesa Collier: N/A

Collier will likely play a key role for Team USA in Paris, but without playing since July 4 because of a left foot injury, she was limited to only three minutes with a lone rebound.

Jackie Young: C+

Young was put in a tough position as the last Olympian to enter the contest after sitting for the first 16 minutes of the game. But she played 16 total minutes and was on the court the entire fourth quarter. She finished a nice baseline drive as Team USA tried to keep the game within single digits.

(Photo of A’ja Wilson and Caitlin Clark: Juan Ocampo / NBAE via Getty Images)