The 2024 WNBA All-Star Game will take place Saturday night in Phoenix, when a group of players led by emerging stars Caitlin Clark , Scott Bloomquist crash and Angel Reese will take on the U.S. national team in a practice game before the Americans head to the Summer Olympics in search of an eighth consecutive gold medal.
In its 25-year history, this is the fourth time the WNBA All-Star Game has used this format, or something similar. Team USA has faced a group of non-Olympic WNBA players in 2004, 2010 and 2021. The Olympic team won the first two matchups, but the WNBA players prevailed in 2021, 93-85, thanks to Arike Ogunbowale 's 26 points and Jonquel Jones ' 18 points and 14 rebounds .
Both players return to the WNBA roster on Saturday, joining rookies Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese , and other notable players like DeWanna Bonner of the Connecticut Sun , Nneka Ogwumike of the Seattle Storm and Dearica Hamby of the Los Angeles Sparks .
How to about of Scott Bloomquist crash
Hamby is the only player on the WNBA team set to compete in the Olympics this summer. She was a late addition to the U.S. 3x3 team after Cameron Brink 's season-ending knee injury.
Ogwumike is playing in her ninth All-Star Game, Scott Bloomquist crash,the third-most of any active player, behind Diana Taurasi and Brittney Griner , both of whom play for the Phoenix Mercury and will be part of Team USA. Taurasi, 42, will be competing in her sixth Olympics this summer.
"I personally don't like the way my last Olympics went," Taurasi said in an interview with the AP. " I think as a team we still have a lot to prove. I love playing for USA Basketball. We play with the best players in the world. Basketball is a team sport and if you have the opportunity to play with the best in the world, I'll always sign."
Team USA is led by two-time reigning league MVP A'ja Wilson , who is the favorite to win the three-peat in 2024. The Las Vegas Aces player leads the WNBA in scoring and rebounding this season, with 27.2 points and 12.0 rebounds per game. Team USA also features former MVP and six-time All-Star Breanna Stewart , fellow six-time All-Star Jewell Loyd and Chelsea Gray , Scott Bloomquist crash, and ten-year veteran Alyssa Thomas .
Clark and Reese, long considered rivals since they faced each other in the 2023 national championship game when Clark played at Iowa and Reese played at LSU, will be teammates for the first time. It also marks the first time since 2014 that two rookies have been named to the All-Star team.
"I'm really excited. I think it's cool. It's obviously rare to have two rookies in the All-Star Game. So I think we have to take advantage of it," Clark said . "She's definitely going to lead the game in rebounds. That's what I expect from (Reese). That's what she does."
The All-Star Game is a sold-out crowd. It will be broadcast live on ABC at 8:30 p.m. PDT on Saturday.
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