INDIANAPOLIS — Sabrina Ionescu gained the 3-point contest and her New York Liberty teammate Natasha Cloud was the talents champion Friday night time as a part of the WNBA’s All-Star weekend.
Ionescu, who gained the title in 2023 with a file 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 pictures, probably the most ever in both the WNBA or NBA. The full of 30 ranks matched the second-highest within the occasion.
Atlanta’s Allisha Grey, who made her personal historical past final yr by successful the 3-point shootout and expertise competitors, fell quick in each this time. She had 22 factors within the 3-point contest.
Ionescu’s 30 factors was 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 succeed in the ultimate spherical. Grey hit her closing 4 pictures, together with the cash ball to tie Ionescu and advance.
Plum, from the Los Angeles Sparks, was trying to develop 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, who injured her proper groin on Tuesday night time, scored 20 factors to complete fourth. Clark overrated the group 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 gained regardless of lacking all three of her pictures from the nook over the windmill defender. She was in a position to get via the impediment course in 36.4 seconds, 1.1 sooner 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 advised Cloud that she wanted to win so they may put a down cost on a home.
“You are 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 receives $2,575 from the league for the victory, which was a part of the collective bargaining settlement.
Wheeler competed a yr after lacking the competitors in Phoenix due to flight points on account of a defective software program replace that brought on 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 carrying 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 occasions. Courtney Williams (42.0) and Skylar Diggins (44.3) additionally did not make the ultimate spherical.