Sabrina Ionescu received the 3-point contest and her New York Liberty teammate Natasha Cloud received the abilities problem at WNBA All-Star Friday evening.
Ionescu, who received the title in 2023 with a report efficiency, had a powerful closing spherical, scoring 30 factors. It was lower than her record-breaking effort of 37 two years in the past when she made 25 of 27 photographs — essentially the most ever in both the WNBA or NBA.
Atlanta’s Allisha Grey, who made her personal historical past final 12 months by successful the 3-point shootout and expertise competitors, fell brief in each this time. She had 22 factors within the 3-point contest.
Ionescu’s 30 factors had been the second-highest in a WNBA 3-point contest.
Grey went final within the opening spherical and wanted to beat Kelsey Plum’s 22 factors to achieve the ultimate spherical. Grey hit her closing 4 photographs, together with the cash ball to tie Ionescu and advance.
Plum, from the Los Angeles Sparks, was seeking to turn into the primary participant in WNBA historical past to win an All-Star MVP (2022), expertise problem (2023) and 3-point contest.
Lexie Hull, who was a fill-in for Indiana teammate Caitlin Clark after she injured her proper groin on Tuesday evening, scored 20 factors to complete fourth. Clark overrated the gang from the sideline earlier than Hull’s flip.
Washington rookie Sonia Citron scored 19 factors within the opening spherical.
Cloud had the quickest time within the first spherical of the impediment course that mixes passing, dribbling and taking pictures. She wanted to beat Seattle’s Erica Wheeler’s mark of 37.5 seconds within the finals. Cloud received regardless of lacking all three of her photographs from the nook over the windmill defender. She was capable of get by means of the impediment course in 36.4 seconds — 1.1 quicker than Wheeler.
After beating Wheeler, Cloud hugged Ionescu. She then picked up her girlfriend and Liberty teammate Isabelle Harrison and gave her a hug and kiss. Harrison had instructed Cloud that she wanted to win so they may put a down fee on a home.
“You’re gonna get that home,” Cloud stated after successful.
Cloud obtained $55,000 from Aflac as a part of a partnership with the WNBAPA. She additionally obtained $2,575 from the league for the victory, which was a part of the collective bargaining settlement.
Wheeler competed a 12 months after lacking the competitors in Phoenix due to flight points because of a defective software program replace that precipitated technological havoc worldwide. Wheeler spent a number of years in Indiana and obtained a loud ovation from the followers when she was launched.
Defending champion Grey, who was sporting customized A’ja Wilson footwear with “cash signal” on them, was in hassle after lacking all three of the chest passes, which slowed her time and spoiled her bid for a repeat.
She completed the course in 39.4 seconds, which was behind Cloud and Wheeler’s opening-round instances. Courtney Williams (42.0) and Skylar Diggins (44.3) additionally didn’t make the ultimate spherical.
Reporting by The Related Press.
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