Arike Ogunbowale lit up the 2024 WNBA All-Star Game, scoring a jaw-dropping 34 points, but it wasn’t just her scoring spree that caught everyone’s attention. In a move straight out of a sports movie, Ogunbowale christened Caitlin Clark with a new nickname: “The Future.” Talk about high praise from the Dallas Wings star, especially after such a game!
Clark, the Indiana Fever’s shooting sensation and NCAA’s all-time points leader, didn’t exactly have the Midas touch at the Footprint Center. Her shots seemed to have gone on vacation, but she was busy dishing out dimes, racking up 10 assists. Just two shy of Sue Bird’s record—so close, yet so far!
During the 117-109 triumph over Team USA, Clark was like a magician on the court, making passes that even had the commentators scratching their heads. She connected beautifully with Ogunbowale and the Chicago Sky’s Angel Reese, helping to flip the script in a game that had Team USA pegged as favorites. But who needs points when you can assist the heck out of your teammates, right?
Clark, fresh from her NCAA glory days at Iowa, commemorated her first WNBA All-Star appearance with a 10-photo Instagram collage, captioned simply, “First WNBA All-Star.” The post blew up faster than a pop star’s latest hit, with fans and fellow players flooding in to show love. Ogunbowale, never one to miss a moment, crowned her “the future” in the comments—because why not add some extra flair to the social media buzz?
Speaking of Ogunbowale, her own stat line from the All-Star Game reads like a basketball fever dream: 34 points, six assists, and three rebounds. This performance not only snagged her the MVP award but also solidified her status as a standout in a season that’s been anything but predictable for the Wings. They’re sitting at a .240 winning percentage, which is basically the WNBA equivalent of saying, “We’ll get ’em next time!”
With the season on a brief hiatus, the Wings will be plotting their comeback, hoping to turn things around starting with a road game against the Connecticut Sun on August 16. Here’s hoping the break gives them time to recharge and that Ogunbowale’s prophecy about Clark’s future holds up—because if “The Future” is now, the WNBA is in for a thrilling ride!
