Hometown Aces make their mark in WNBA All-Star game

By Mike Grimala (contact)

Wednesday, July 14, 2021 | 6:47 p.m.

The 2021 WNBA All-Star game sure didn’t feel like a modern exhibition showcase of the sport’s greatest players — and that was a good thing.

Played in front of spectators at the Michelob Ultra Arena, the Olympic-year format — Team USA vs. a select squad of WNBA All-Stars — fostered a much more competitive atmosphere than a normal All-Star shootout. Picks were set, shots were contested and transition opportunities were noticeably limited. Flashy points were at a minimum, and most buckets had to be earned — especially in the fourth quarter.

After a back-and-forth showing, the WNBA All-Star team pulled away in the final minutes for a hard-fought, 93-85 win over Team USA.

It was the lowest scoring All-Star game since 2003, when the WNBA’s East and West squads combined for 159 points.

Las Vegas Aces superstar and reigning league MVP A’ja Wilson was confident that fans would appreciate the intensity more than a leisurely bucket-fest with zero defense.

“Yes it’s an All-Star game, but at the same time we’re going to be competitive,” Wilson said. “We’re going to compete because that’s what people want to see. At the end of the day I think we gave people what they wanted.”

Wilson started at forward for Team USA and got on the board early, knocking down her patented elbow jumper to give her squad a 15-11 lead midway through the first quarter.

Wilson’s layup with less than two minutes remaining pulled Team USA within 91-85, but she missed a turnaround jumper on the ensuing possession and Courtney Williams landed the dagger for the All-Stars with a running one-hander to make it an eight-point game with 40 seconds on the clock.

Wilson finished with eight points, five rebounds and four assists.

In addition to Wilson, the Aces had three other representatives in the game. Point guard Chelsea Gray came off the bench for Team USA, while forward Dearica Hamby and center Liz Cambage joined the All-Star team.

Gray played 18 minutes and posted seven points and three assists. Hamby, a first-time All-Star, played 13 minutes and contributed two points, six rebounds and an assist. Cambage, a member of the Australian national team, did not play due to a minor injury suffered while practicing with the Aussies.

Team USA will play two exhibition games in Las Vegas next week against Nigeria and Australia before heading to Tokyo for the Olympics.

Both teams struggled to generate consistent offense over the course of the 40-minute affair. Team USA shot 47.3% from the field but committed 15 turnovers, while the All-Stars made just 46.4% of their shots, including an 11-of-30 performance from 3-point range.

But when the game was on the line, the All-Star backcourt stepped up to lead the way. Williams made a runner to give the All-Stars a 79-77 lead with seven minutes to play and Team USA never recovered. Arike Ogunbowale scored a game-high 26, including nine in the fourth quarter, to earn MVP honors. Ogunbowale and Williams combined to score 17 points in the final period to carry the All-Stars across the finish line.

When Wilson, Gray and Cambage return from Tokyo, they will attempt to bring Las Vegas its first WNBA championship. After making the finals last year, the Aces are currently second in the league with a 14-6 record.

Wilson said the hometown All-Star experience was a nice moment for the four Aces who participated.

“It’s a lot of fun to play here in Vegas, but when you have an All-Star game and people really come out to represent and show love to us, as individuals being part of the Aces, it’s truly special," she said.

Mike Grimala can be reached at 702-948-7844 or [email protected]. Follow Mike on Twitter at twitter.com/mikegrimala.