At last year’s All-Star Friday at PHX Arena, both the Skills Challenge and 3-Point Contest were swept by one player – Allisha Gray of the Atlanta Dream.
This year, All-Star Friday at Indianapolis’ Gainbridge Fieldhouse was once again swept – but by a team instead of one player. That team was the defending WNBA champion New York Liberty.
Sabrina Ionescu is establishing herself as the new queen of the three by claiming her second 3-Point Contest championship. Ionescu also won two years ago at Las Vegas’ Michelob Ultra Arena where she set a 3-Point Contest record for either WNBA or NBA with a 37-point performance in the final round.
Prior to Ionescu prevailing over the field in the 3-Point Contest, Natasha Cloud, who has become a new fan favorite in Gotham, would win the Skills Challenge.
All-Star Friday in the Hoosier State commenced with the Skills Challenge which featured Courtney Williams (Minnesota Lynx), Skylar Diggins (Seattle Storm), Erica Wheeler (Seattle Storm), Gray and Cloud. Williams – one of the StudBudz – opened with a first-round time of 42 seconds. Cloud then set a pace by competing her course in 34.1 seconds.
The Storm duo of Diggins and Wheeler were up next. Diggins posted a time of 44.3 followed by Wheeler – a fan favorite (and 2019 All-Star Game MVP) given she once played for the Fever. Wheeler finished her obstacle course in 36.5 seconds.
Defending Skills Challenge champion Gray had her work cut out for her when she went last in the first round. Gray timing in at a 39.4 set up a final of Cloud and Wheeler. The former Fever timed in at 37.5. Cloud would best Wheeler with a 36.4 for the first of the Liberty victories on All-Star Friday.
Following the Skills Challenge, the five-woman field for this year’s 3-Point Contest had the stage. That included Ionescu, Gray, Kelsey Plum (Los Angeles Sparks), Sonia Citron (Washington Mystics) and Lexie Hull (Indiana Fever) who was the replacement for Caitlin Clark.
Plum was first at the mic and concluded with a score of 22 – including connecting on one of her two tries from Starry range. Citron then was up next – and concluded with a score of 19. The Mystics rookie connected on all five of her attempts from the top of the key.
The hometown fan favorite Hull had next. Hull struggled early, but she made one of her two Starry tries and made four of her five from the left wing and from her money ball rack in the left corner. Her 20 would bounce Citron from the competition.
Then – came Ionescu.
She also struggled a bit early but made four of her five from the top of the key plus a Starry ball. Ionescu connected on four of her five tries – including all three money balls – from the top of the key, the right wing and the right corner for a 25 score and a berth in the final.
This also meant Hull’s night was done. But who would face Ionescu in the final? Would it be Plum or would it be the 2024 3-Point champion Gray.
Gray missed on both of her Starry tries but was true on three of her five from her money ball rack. She made four of her five tries from the top of the key, left wing and left corner – including her money ball tries on all of the aforementioned racks. This year’s 3-Point Contest final would pit 2023’s champion vs. 2024’s.
Also, for the second consecutive year, it would be Dream vs. Liberty in the 3-Point Contest finals. Last year’s version saw Gray best Jonquel Jones.
The left wing being Ionescu’s money ball rack in the finals paid dividends. No. 20 connected on all five of her money ball rack tries – plus both of her Starry ball attempts. At one point, she connected on 11 consecutive attempts, bringing back déjà vu from Vegas.
Ionescu cooled off down the stretch but still tallied 30 points to put plenty of pressure on Gray.
Gray began slow, but the money ball rack gave her hope as she drained four of her five attempts from said rack. She also made all five of her tries from the left wing plus a Starry ball, but would come up short with a 22-point performance.
Ionescu would join four-time 3-Point Contest champion Allie Quigley as the only participants to win multiple contests.
