Grading WNBA All-Star contests: Sabrina Ionescu's 3-point performance sets high bar
Perhaps only Ionescu would call out what she didn't do after recording 30 points in the final round, tying the second-highest score in the event's history and becoming only the second player ever to win multiple 3-point contests. Ionescu is the WNBA's best 3-point shooter, and she cemented her crown with another dazzling display.
'I haven't done this in a little while, so to be able to be back in a shootout is always fun,' she said.
Ionescu called Stephen Curry after winning her second WNBA 3-point competition to show off her trophy. Curry beat Ionescu in a one-on-one shooting competition at the 2024 NBA All-Star Weekend in Indianapolis, and she was excited to make her return. She didn't take any practice shots off the rack until just before the competition, and she said she felt no added pressure after seeing New York Liberty teammate Natasha Cloud win the skills competition.
It was a night for New York to remember.
'For me to be able to share it with my teammate, who I share the locker room with every day, is really special,' Ionescu said.
As a team, the Liberty would receive an A+ for Friday night's results, but here are the grades for all the other participants in Friday night's events.
Skills competition
Skylar Diggins, Seattle Storm: C
Diggins was one of two Storm players who participated in Friday night's event, and she had the second-best betting odds pre-competition. But she missed her first two jump shots from each of the wing, elbow and corner, and then she dropped the basketball when picking it up before the final layup sprint. She was still shaking her head about missing out on the potential prize money when she caught up afterward with members of the Seattle organization, including Nneka Ogwumike and coach Noelle Quinn.
Courtney Williams, Minnesota Lynx: C+
Williams had the difficult task of opening the night's festivities as the first competitor in the skills challenge, not knowing what time would be necessary to advance. The two-time All-Star guard has been one of the stars of the weekend, as she and Minnesota teammate Natisha Hiedeman have streamed their time in Indy on Twitch. Williams didn't set a high enough bar in her only skills challenge round, however. She threw two errant chest passes and missed the first try of her right wing and left elbow jumpers. It didn't take her long to know she didn't set a high enough mark (42 seconds). After Natasha Cloud finished her first round with a 34.1-second run, Williams leaned back on the bench in some frustration.
Allisha Gray, Atlanta Dream: B-
Gray entered the event looking to duplicate her winning performance from the 2024 All-Star Game in Phoenix. She even won Team Collier's half-court shooting contest during Friday's practice, earning her a little more money. However, she left Friday's skills challenge without a big check. She threw three off-target chest passes and then missed her first 3-pointer from the right wing, a four-play stretch that doomed her repeat chances.
Erica Wheeler, Seattle Storm: B+
Wheeler was scheduled to participate in last year's All-Star skills competition when she was still playing with the Fever, but travel issues prevented her from getting to Phoenix in time. After putting up a 36.5-second first round on Friday, she said that she felt a jolt and some comfort from the Gainbridge Fieldhouse crowd, which still shows her love. Wheeler was patient on all of her first-round jumpers and her outlet pass. Although she missed her first layup attempt — the only player in the competition to do so — she still advanced to the final round.
Her final round was slightly slower at 37.5 seconds, and Wheeler anxiously watched as Cloud just barely beat her. Though Wheeler missed out on a $55,000 paycheck from the Aflac/WNBPA bonus, she still seemed to be in good spirits postgame, running up to Cloud almost immediately to congratulate her.
Natasha Cloud, New York Liberty: A
Cloud said that Ionescu, the 2022 skills champion, told her to be patient while maneuvering through the course. She was patient yet fast, finishing with the best time in the first round (34.1), despite missing all three of her right-wing 3-point attempts.
Though Cloud struggled on shooting elements in the final, she showed why she is one of the league's fastest players with the ball in her hands. As she closed out the competition, Cloud made the outlet pass on her first try and finished the layup to edge Wheeler by 1.1 seconds. Ionescu watched from the other end of the court and immediately beelined to her teammate once Cloud's victory was official. She said she would use the $55,000 paycheck for a down payment on a house, which sounds like a smart investment.
3-point contest
Sonia Citron, Washington Mystics: C+
Citron was the lone rookie involved in the events, and she put up a solid showing in her debut performance. She was perfect on her five 3-pointers from the top of the key but had poor placement on her moneyball rack, making only one of her attempts from the right wing (which was also the chosen spot for Plum and Gray). Had she picked the middle of the floor, perhaps Citron could have pulled off an upset.
There is another bright spot for Citron here: Ionescu said she would give her half of the $60,000-winning check if Ionescu won the competition, commending Citron for participating as a rookie. Ionescu confirmed she would do so post-competition. Not a bad payday at all for finishing last.
Lexie Hull, Indiana Fever: C+
Hull was the only Fever player to participate in Friday's events after Caitlin Clark had to withdraw due to injury. Clark and several Indiana teammates cheered on Hull from courtside, but there was no home-court advantage. Hull missed her first four 3-pointers, and although she made four of her final five shots, she came up short with her first-round score of 20.
Kelsey Plum, Los Angeles Sparks: B-
Plum entered the event looking to improve on her debut 3-point contest performance in 2022, when she scored only 14 out of a possible 34 points. She was much better during her second time in the competition, finishing with a solid first-round score of 22 after getting hot in the back half of the competition. She temporarily looked poised to advance to the final, but Gray later knocked her out with a strong closing stretch.
Allisha Gray, Atlanta Dream: B+
Gray looked to become the first repeat 3-point shootout contest champion since Allie Quigley in 2021 and 2022, and the event's second multi-time winner. Her first round was a good start toward that goal, as she tied Ionescu with 25 points and was consistent throughout, making at least three jumpers on each rack. Ionescu's final total of 30 seemed to throw off Gray, however, as she missed her first four attempts. She was eliminated by the third rack, when she went 0 for 5 at the top of the key. Gray's final score of 22 was still tied for the highest of anyone but Ionescu, and it was equal to her winning score in 2024.
Sabrina Ionescu, New York Liberty: A+
Ionescu gets the highest grade as she became just the second multi-time 3-point champion in event history. She set the bar high in the first round, recording a score of 25 points. Although she didn't eclipse her 37-point performance from 2023, she did hit 11 consecutive 3s in the final round, replicating much of the same in-arena energy that she sparked a few years ago when she hit 20 consecutive 3-pointers. Ionescu said she felt the juice of the crowd, and she put on another show fans will remember.
This article originally appeared in The Athletic.
Minnesota Lynx, New York Liberty, Seattle Storm, Los Angeles Sparks, Washington Mystics, Atlanta Dream, Chicago Sky, Connecticut Sun, Indiana Fever, Dallas Wings, Las Vegas Aces, Phoenix Mercury, Golden State Valkyries, WNBA
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