Revenge and regrets are becoming the theme for WNBA games now. While the All-Star Game, where Team WNBA got the better of Team USA, was a thrilling matchup, only the team that would not be flying out to Paris had more to prove. Everybody knows about how Caitlin Clark was snubbed out of the national team. Angel Reese did not even get mentioned in most of the conversations. But the 2x WNBA All-Star MVP Arike Ogunbowale had the best case out of all.

Hence, with all the underlying stories, which WNBA star Team USA should have taken with them and whose absence might cost them the eighth consecutive gold medal? Especially after these three carried the game for Team WNBA.

Arike Ogunbowale torches Team USA twice in a row

You read it correctly! The 2024 Olympics is not the first time that the Dallas Wings guard will not get to represent her country. In fact, back in 2021 as well, the team snubbed her. She made sure that the committee who did not choose her saw what they were missing. The 2020 Tokyo Olympics were delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Hence, in the 2021 All-Star game, Arike Ogunbowale handed Team USA a rare loss. Not just that, she scored 26 points, the most in the 93-85 victory, and became the event’s MVP.

Then, she told the reporters, “I think that shows that out of 144 players, everybody’s good. We wanted to get Team USA ready for Tokyo. They are representing all of us.” However, Sue Bird, representing Team USA, had a different view. She told AP, “This, right from the tip, felt different. It had an intensity about it, you could tell.” Brenna Stewart also said something similar as she noted, “The All-Star Game has a label where it’s a lot of offense and no defense. This was a game of All-Stars.”

This time around, while Arike Ogunbowale took her name back intentionally months before the team was announced, the All-Star game felt similar. When announcing that she has taken out her name from the pool, she mentioned, “Women’s basketball, in general, and a lot of things, in general, are political. I just made the decision on what I thought was right. I’m going to use the break to rest.”

Once again, she dropped a game-high 34 points, going 10 of 20 from the field. She even had the entertainment aspect of the event in mind. She hit 8 threes in the game. Interestingly, the 5-year veteran made 5 of these threes in just the third quarter after not scoring at all in the entire first half.

As of the 2024 WNBA season, while the Wings are not in playoff contention, Arike Ogunbowale has certainly set herself apart. Currently, she is averaging 22.3 points, 4.8 rebounds, and 5.2 assists with 2.7 steals per game. But again, she was not the only one who Team USA left at home.

Caitlin Clark’s snub and the Team USA-worthy stat lines that followed

For many, there was no doubt that the 2024 first-overall pick and the NCAA’s leading scorer, who broke over 46 records during her time in Iowa, was eligible to get into the Paris Olympics roster. However, among many reasons that came forward for her snub, one was her lack of practice with the group. During Caitlin Clark’s 2024 March Madness run, Team USA held a practice camp. Of course, the No. 22 could not attend it. Moreover, Team USA has practiced in such short-term camps throughout the years that the Olympics have not been held. Clark was not part of any of them, either.

However, she did get a chance to prove her contention. As a part of the Indiana Fever, the Olympic committee asked Clark to show why, despite the lack of international experience, she should be on the 12-player roster of Team USA. But the Fever had one of the toughest schedules going into the opening weeks of the 28th WNBA season. Moreover, the lack of chemistry among the team also prevented the 2x NPOY from bringing out her best. Not to mention, that was also the very time when she had to truly adjust to the league’s physicality and pace.

Still, she did put up decent numbers to match her stats to a few Olympic team members, specifically Diana Taurasi. Team USA announced the final roster going to Paris on June 11, 2024. Till then, Caitlin Clark had averaged, 16.3 points, 4.9 rebounds, and 6 assists per game. In fact, her 17.5 points, 6.5 assists, and 5.1 boards per game also brought her the Rookie of the Month for May. Later, she also became the Rookie of the Month for July.

Contrastingly, the 42-year-old Phoenix Mercury guard was averaging 17.4 points, 4.7 rebounds, and 1.5 assists per game till then. In comparison, the rookie did give her best, even with the worst defense on her tail. Currently, the ‘monster’ that Clark mentioned after the snub surely has risen. The Fever has played 26 games so far. In those, the rookie has averaged 17.1 points, 5.8 rebounds, and 8.2 assists and again received the Rookie of the Month for July. The team has also improved their standing and win-loss record as they have an 11-15 record and are seventh in the WNBA.

Another rookie who was the Player of the Month for June did not get to be in the conversation for Team USA.

Angel Reese’s snub and whose absence will be a ‘hot topic’

Surprisingly, the LSU alumna did not even make it to the Team USA discussion for many. Hence, the Chicago Sky rookie also made sure everyone knew her potential. The double-double queen of the Lady Tigers entered the WNBA and posted her very first double-double in just her fifth game. While she could not continue the streak then, her seventh game marked the first double-double in the historic 15-game streak.

She not only left Candace Parker (12) behind but also created a record in the league for consecutive double-doubles. Currently, she is adding 13.5 points and 12 rebounds per game (Leads the league). Reese is the only rookie to average in double-doubles for multiple months as well. Still, Team USA did not find her worthy.

Overall, it is certainly Arike Ogunbowale whose snub could hurt Team USA the most. She is not just experienced but has proven time and again how she can push the gears and bring wins to whichever team she becomes a part of. The 2024 All-Star game was just an example of the same.

Stay tuned for more such updates. Join us for the exciting pilot episode of the “Dual Threat Show” as our host BG12 sits down with Georgia Bulldogs star and SEC All-Freshman Team Selection, Silas Demary Jr.