PHOENIX — From the volume of the crowd as lineups were announced Saturday, it would have been easy to forget that A’ja Wilson, Chelsea Gray, Jackie Young and Kelsey Plum weren’t being introduced for an Aces game.

The team’s four Olympians appeared in the 20th edition of the WNBA All-Star Game at Footprint Center in Phoenix. Team USA lost to Team WNBA 117-109 and is now 0-2 in matchups against WNBA All-Star teams.

Breanna Stewart led Team USA with 31 points and 10 rebounds.

Wilson had 22 points and six rebounds. Fans chanted “MVP” as she went to the free-throw line with 30 seconds left. Wilson leads the league in points, rebounds and blocked shots.

Gray had five points and five assists, Plum scored nine and Young two. Wilson and Gray were starters.

Dallas Wings guard Arike Ogunbowale was voted All-Star MVP after finishing with 34 points, all of them in the second half, and six assists for Team WNBA.

Star rookies Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese made their first All-Star appearances. Both have drawn immense attention and accelerated the league’s exponential growth while their fan bases clash.

Here are three takeaways from the game:

1. "Trying to accomplish a lot today"

Opposing coaches Cheryl Reeve (Minnesota Lynx, Team USA) and Cheryl Miller (Team WNBA) made it clear Thursday that both teams would take the exhibition seriously.

Reeve emphasized that Team USA had an important responsibility to test lineups and schemes to prepare for the Olympics after just two practices together.

“We’re trying to accomplish a lot today, amidst all the hoopla,” Reeve said Saturday.

As Reeve tested lineups, Lynx forward Napheesa Collier, Young and Indiana Fever center Aliyah Boston didn’t see any minutes in the first quarter. Young entered at the 3:52 mark of the second quarter, going 1 of 5 from the field.

Phoenix Mercury veteran Diana Taurasi recorded 20 minutes, the most behind Wilson and Stewart, and was a team-high plus-5 in the box score. She recorded 14 points and five assists.

2. The MVP of it all

The first half was reminiscent of the fateful 2023 MVP race that has continued to motivate Wilson this season. Team USA led 54-52 after two quarters. Reigning MVP Stewart led the game in scoring through the first two quarters with 14 points. Wilson, the overwhelming favorite for this year’s MVP award, scored 13.

After shooting 0-for-2 in the first half, Ogunbowale exploded for 21 points in the third quarter. She also was the All-Star MVP in 2021 after scoring 26 and leading the non-Olympic All-Stars to a win over Team USA.

Ogunbowale withdrew herself from the Olympic player pool this year, saying she sensed the “vibes” that the selection committee didn’t view her as a fit for the team.

3. Rookie of the Year

Miller said Thursday she was surprised to learn her players wanted to “beat the brakes off” the Olympic stars.

The star rookies on her team were hard to ignore in that effort.

Clark set the rookie record for assists in an All-Star Game with 10. Sue Bird has the overall record with 11.

Reese had her usual double-double with 12 points and 11 rebounds off the bench. She is the first rookie with a double-double in an All-Star Game since 1999.

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