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Toronto Star
4 days ago
- Sport
- Toronto Star
Ionescu wins 3-point contest, Cloud claims skills competition in Liberty All-Star sweep
INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Sabrina Ionescu put on another shooting clinic to win the 3-point contest for the second time at All-Star weekend on Friday night. The Liberty's star guard, who also won the title in 2023 with a record performance, had a strong final round, scoring 30 points to beat defending champion Allisha Gray. It completed a New York sweep of the night with Liberty teammate Natasha Cloud winning the skills competition.
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Fever's Caitlin Clark explains decision to compete in WNBA 3-Point Contest
The post Fever's Caitlin Clark explains decision to compete in WNBA 3-Point Contest appeared first on ClutchPoints. The WNBA All-Star break is set to begin on July 18 with the three-point contest kicking off the two-day event. Indiana Fever star Caitlin Clark announced that she will partake in the three-point contest this year. After doing so, she recently revealed why she made the decision to compete. Leading up to Tuesday's contest against the Connecticut Sun, Clark fielded questions about the upcoming three-point contest and WNBA All-Star Game. The 23-year-old admitted that she didn't put too much thought into it and just accepted the opportunity when it was presented to her. From the sounds of it, Caitlin Clark is excited to show off her shooting abilities on July 18. 'Not much went into it other than yes, I guess. Obviously, it's exciting. I've never participated in a three-point competition before. I've never practiced [for it] before. Just go out there and have fun. I think the lineup of people competing is tremendous.' Allisha Gray of the Atlanta Dream took home the crown for not just the three-point contest but also the WNBA's Skills Challenge last year. Gray will be defending her three-point title on Friday when Caitlin Clark attempts to become the new three-point champion of the league. Many are likely assuming the Fever star will win the contest, as she has made a name for herself as a three-point shooter. It's one of her biggest strengths, as Caitlin Clark is capable of hitting shots from deep like we see from players in the NBA. It's one of the reasons she has become the face of women's basketball so quickly in her young career. It appears to be a busy weekend for Caitlin Clark, as the 2024 Rookie of the Year will also participate in the WNBA All-Star Game. She was one of the captains for the upcoming contest and drafted her team for the big game. But first, she'll aim to win the three-point contest before turning around and playing in the All-Star Game. Related: Video shows distraught Fever star Caitlin Clark on bench amid injury concerns Related: Fever fan hilariously tells Caitlin Clark she has 'too much aura'
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
WNBA All-Star 2025: Live updates, highlights from 3-point contest, skills challenge
The 2025 WNBA All-Star festivities begin Friday night with the 3-point contest and Skills Challenge competitions. Each event will feature five of the league's top performers with more than just bragging rights on the line — they'll be playing for cash prizes. This year, insurance partner Aflac has teed up a $60,000 prize for the winner of the 3-point contest and another $55,000 for the winner of the skills challenge. The WNBA will chip in another $2,575 to the winner of each contest. Atlanta Dream guard Allisha Gray is the only player participating in both the 3-point contest and skills challenge this year, fresh off a 2024 victory in both competitions — the first player in WNBA history to win both events in the same year. Here's a look at all you need to know about this year's WNBA 3-point contest and skills challenge: 2025 WNBA 3-point contest: Participants, rules, format On the rules for the 3-point contest, shares: The WNBA STARRY® 3-Point participants will compete in a two-round, timed competition with ball racks positioned at five main shooting locations around the three-point arc. Four of the racks contain four official WNBA game balls worth one point each and one 'money' ball worth two points. The fifth rack will be a special 'all money ball' rack with every ball worth two points; each competitor will choose their preferred spot for the 'all money ball' rack from among the five shooting locations. In addition, two ball pedestals will be positioned at deep shot locations called 'The STARRY® Range.' Each pedestal will hold one special 'STARRY® ball'; shots made with the 'STARRY® ball' are worth three points. The two players with the highest scores in the First Round will advance to the Final Round. This year, the following participants will take the court: Sonia Citron (Washington Mystics) Allisha Gray (Atlanta Dream) Sabrina Ionescu (New York Liberty) Kelsey Plum (Los Angeles Sparks) Lexie Hull (Indiana Fever, replacing Caitlin Clark) Ionescu and Gray have both taken home previous wins in the event, in 2023 and 2024, respectively. In 2023, Ionescu set the all-time record for the 3-point contest in both the WNBA and NBA with a high score of 37 in the final round. Ionescu sits as the odds-favorite to win the event with +125 odds on BetMGM Sportsbook, while Allisha Gray sits at +375. 2025 WNBA Skills Challenge describes the skills challenge as "a timed obstacle course that tests a variety of basketball skills: dribbling, bounce pass, chest pass and outlet pass, and shots that include an elbow jumper, a 3-pointer from the top of the arc, and a corner three." The participants in this year's skills challenge competition include: Natasha Cloud (New York Liberty) Skylar Diggins (Seattle Storm) Allisha Gray (Atlanta Dream) Erica Wheeler (Seattle Storm) Courtney Williams (Minnesota Lynx) Gray is favored to repeat as the winner of this year's skill challenge, with odds at +275 on BetMGM Sportsbook, closely followed by Skylar Diggins at +325, Natasha Cloud at +340 and Courtney Williams at +360. Why isn't Caitlin Clark participating? Though Clark committed to the event, she suffered a groin injury on Tuesday night, as she and the Indiana Fever faced off against the Connecticut Sun. The injury came late in the game, with just 39.6 seconds remaining in the fourth quarter. Fever head coach Stephanie White told reporters after the game that Clark "felt a little something in her groin." The injury comes just four games out from a previous groin injury that forced her to miss five games between late June and early July. It's unclear if Clark's injury is a re-aggravation of her previous groin injury or a new one. How to watch WNBA All-Star 3-point contest, skills challenge Date: Friday, July 18 Time: 8 p.m. ET Location: Gainbridge Fieldhouse | Indianapolis, Indiana TV channel: ESPN, ESPN+ Follow along with Yahoo Sports for live updates, highlights and more from the 2025 WNBA All-Star 3-point contest and skills challenge:
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
WNBA All-Star 2025: Live updates, highlights from 3-point contest, skills challenge
The 2025 WNBA All-Star festivities begin Friday night with the 3-point contest and Skills Challenge competitions. Each event will feature five of the league's top performers with more than just bragging rights on the line — they'll be playing for cash prizes. This year, insurance partner Aflac has teed up a $60,000 prize for the winner of the 3-point contest and another $55,000 for the winner of the skills challenge. The WNBA will chip in another $2,575 to the winner of each contest. Atlanta Dream guard Allisha Gray is the only player participating in both the 3-point contest and skills challenge this year, fresh off a 2024 victory in both competitions — the first player in WNBA history to win both events in the same year. Here's a look at all you need to know about this year's WNBA 3-point contest and skills challenge: 2025 WNBA 3-point contest: Participants, rules, format On the rules for the 3-point contest, shares: The WNBA STARRY® 3-Point participants will compete in a two-round, timed competition with ball racks positioned at five main shooting locations around the three-point arc. Four of the racks contain four official WNBA game balls worth one point each and one 'money' ball worth two points. The fifth rack will be a special 'all money ball' rack with every ball worth two points; each competitor will choose their preferred spot for the 'all money ball' rack from among the five shooting locations. In addition, two ball pedestals will be positioned at deep shot locations called 'The STARRY® Range.' Each pedestal will hold one special 'STARRY® ball'; shots made with the 'STARRY® ball' are worth three points. The two players with the highest scores in the First Round will advance to the Final Round. This year, the following participants will take the court: Sonia Citron (Washington Mystics) Allisha Gray (Atlanta Dream) Sabrina Ionescu (New York Liberty) Kelsey Plum (Los Angeles Sparks) Lexie Hull (Indiana Fever, replacing Caitlin Clark) Ionescu and Gray have both taken home previous wins in the event, in 2023 and 2024, respectively. In 2023, Ionescu set the all-time record for the 3-point contest in both the WNBA and NBA with a high score of 37 in the final round. Ionescu sits as the odds-favorite to win the event with +125 odds on BetMGM Sportsbook, while Allisha Gray sits at +375. 2025 WNBA Skills Challenge describes the skills challenge as "a timed obstacle course that tests a variety of basketball skills: dribbling, bounce pass, chest pass and outlet pass, and shots that include an elbow jumper, a 3-pointer from the top of the arc, and a corner three." The participants in this year's skills challenge competition include: Natasha Cloud (New York Liberty) Skylar Diggins (Seattle Storm) Allisha Gray (Atlanta Dream) Erica Wheeler (Seattle Storm) Courtney Williams (Minnesota Lynx) Gray is favored to repeat as the winner of this year's skill challenge, with odds at +275 on BetMGM Sportsbook, closely followed by Skylar Diggins at +325, Natasha Cloud at +340 and Courtney Williams at +360. Why isn't Caitlin Clark participating? Though Clark committed to the event, she suffered a groin injury on Tuesday night, as she and the Indiana Fever faced off against the Connecticut Sun. The injury came late in the game, with just 39.6 seconds remaining in the fourth quarter. Fever head coach Stephanie White told reporters after the game that Clark "felt a little something in her groin." The injury comes just four games out from a previous groin injury that forced her to miss five games between late June and early July. It's unclear if Clark's injury is a re-aggravation of her previous groin injury or a new one. How to watch WNBA All-Star 3-point contest, skills challenge Date: Friday, July 18 Time: 8 p.m. ET Location: Gainbridge Fieldhouse | Indianapolis, Indiana TV channel: ESPN, ESPN+ Follow along with Yahoo Sports for live updates, highlights and more from the 2025 WNBA All-Star 3-point contest and skills challenge:
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
2025 WNBA All-Star Friday: How to watch 3-point competition, skills challenge
The biggest stars of the WNBA have descended upon Indianapolis for the 2025 WNBA All-Star Game, which will see Team Caitlin Clark and Team Naphessa Collier go head-to-head at Gainbridge Fieldhouse. But before we get to Saturday's big game, the All-Star 3-point contest and skill challenge champion will be crowned. Allisha Gray of the Atlanta Dream looks to defend both titles Friday after she became the first player in WNBA history to win both the 3-point contest and skills challenge in the same season last year. Despite last year's performance, Gray said she doesn't feel like the favorite. "I'm really just chilling for real," she said on Wednesday. "I'm just there to have fun." Clark was tapped to participate in the 3-point contest, alongside Gray, Sabrina Ionescu, Sonia Citron and Kelsey Plum, but Clark injured her right groin in the Fever's win over the Connecticut Sun on Tuesday and ultimately opted to sit out the All-Star activities to rest her body. She will be replaced by Fever teammate Lexi Hull in Friday's 3-point competition and will be replaced by Washington Mystics guard Brittney Sykes in Saturday's All-Star game. 2025 WNBA ALL-STAR ROSTERS: Caitlin Clark selects Fever teammates Here's everything you need to know about the 2025 WNBA All-Star festivities: How to watch WNBA All-Star 3-point, skills challenge All-Star weekend officially kicks off Friday with the 3-point competition and skills challenge, which tips off 8 p.m. ET on ESPN. Date: Friday, July 18 Location: Gainbridge Fieldhouse (Indianapolis) Time: 8 p.m. ET TV: ESPN Streaming: Fubo, Sling 3-point contest format and competitors The 3-point competition will feature two timed rounds with money balls (two points) and Starry balls (three points) in play. This year, players will also get to place a special 'all money ball' rack, where every ball is worth two points, anywhere among the five shooting locations. The top two from the first round will go head-to-head in a final round. Here's the full list of competitors: Washington Mystics guard Sonia Citron Indiana Fever guard Lexi Hull (replacing Caitlin Clark) Atlanta Dream guard Allisha Gray New York Liberty guard Sabrina Ionescu Los Angeles Sparks guard Kelsey Plum Skills challenge format and competitors The WNBA skills challenge features a timed obstacle course consisting of bounce passes, a chest pass, a 3-point shot from the top of the arc, an elbow jumper, a corner 3, an outlet pass, speed dribbles and a final shot from anywhere on the court. To make it even more challenging, the WNBA is throwing a wrench into things by placing a 2025 Kia Sorento Hybrid onto the court. The top two from the first round will advance to the final round. This year's participants are: New York Liberty guard Natasha Cloud Seattle Storm guard Skylar Diggins Atlanta Dream Guard Allisha Gray Seattle Storm guard Erica Wheeler Minnesota Lynx guard Courtney Williams Will Caitlin Clark compete in WNBA All-Star Game? No. Clark will not participate in the 3-point competition or the All-Star Game due to a right groin injury. "I am incredibly sad and disappointed to say I can't participate in the 3-Point contest or the All-Star Game. I have to rest my body." Clark said. "I will still be at Gainbridge Fieldhouse for all the action and I'm looking forward to helping Sandy (Liberty coach Brondello) coach our team to a win." The USA TODAY app gets you to the heart of the news — fastDownload for award-winning coverage, crosswords, audio storytelling, the eNewspaper and more This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: 2025 WNBA All-Star 3-point competition, skills challenge: How to watch
