WNBA All-Star 2024: Dream’s Allisha Gray wins both the Skills Challenge and 3-Point Contest – MASHAHER

ISLAM GAMAL20 July 2024Last Update :
WNBA All-Star 2024: Dream’s Allisha Gray wins both the Skills Challenge and 3-Point Contest – MASHAHER


Atlanta Dream All-Star Allisha Gray had a dream performance during the opening night of WNBA All-Star weekend on Friday night. She became the first player to win both the Skills Challenge and 3-Point Contest.

Gray won the All-Star Skills Challenge by completing the course in 32.1 seconds in the final round. That bested the Phoenix Mercury’s Sophie Cunningham (34.5), who had homecourt advantage at Footprint Center.

The Dream guard advanced to the event’s finals with a time of 31.2 seconds in the first round. She and Cunningham (35.5 seconds) beat out Brittney Griner, Marina Mabrey and Kelsey Mitchell (replacing Erica Wheeler, who missed the event due to a canceled flight) to play for the trophy and $55,000 prize money.

The eight-year WNBA veteran followed that up by defeating Jonquel Jones in the 3-Point Contest with 22 points. Jones finished with 21, missing the final money ball shot that would’ve given her the win.

By winning both contests, Gray takes home $115,150, which is 62% of her 2024 WNBA salary of $185,000. Winners of each event received $2,575 from the league, but also $55,000 from Aflac in a sponsorship deal.

“Now that I think about it, had a good nap, maybe I’ll go on a little golfing spree, shopping spree,” Gray said to ESPN’s Holly Rowe, after saying earlier that she might use the $55,000 to start a business.

Jones (40%) and the Washington Mystics’ Stefanie Dolson (50%) were arguably the favorites in the 3-Point Contest as the league’s top two 3-point shooters in the competition. A center vs. center final would’ve been a triumph for frontcourt players over the guards and wings who usually get all the long-range shots. Gray is shooting 36% on 3s so far this season.

The Skills Challenge included a timed obstacle course to test skills like dribbling, bounce passes, chest passes and outlet passes, plus elbow jump-shots and 3-point shots from the top of the arc and the corner. The 3-Point Contest is a two-round, timed competition with five shooting locations around the arc.

In the WNBA’s first 3×3 challenge, the Olympic team of the Los Angeles Sparks’ Dearica Hamby, Rhyne Howard of the Atlanta Dream, TCU’s Hailey Van Lith and Cierra Burdick defeated the U23 team of college stars, including Maryland’s Christina Dalce, Morgan Maly from Creighton, Ohio State’s Cotie McMahon, Iowa’s Lucy Olsen, Mikaylah Williams from LSU and Wisconsin’s Serah Williams.

Here is how Friday night’s action unfolded on Yahoo Sports’ live blog with Cassandra Negley:

LIVE COVERAGE IS OVER30 updates

  • Allisha Gray makes history

    Allisha Gray absolutely crushed the skills challenge and the 3-point contest tonight in a historic first for the league.

  • Jonquel Jones falls one shy of Gray’s 22. Gray is leaving Phoenix with $115,150 for winning both contests. That’s 62% of her 2024 base salary.

  • Gray finishes with 22 in the final round, one fewer than her round 1 score. Jones is up. She lost to Allie Quigley in 2021.

  • We almost had a center-versus-center 3-point contest final. It will be Jonquel Jones (25 points in round 1) vs. Allisha Gray (23 pts) going for the money.

  • Footprint center is LIT watching Jonquel Jones sink all these 3s. LET’S GO 6-FOOT-6 CENTER DRAINING THREES!

  • Kayla McBride hits 20 at the buzzer. The Lynx vet was on an absolute heater beyond the arc earlier this season, leading Minnesota to the Commissioner’s Cup title last month. Mabrey is now eliminated.

  • Marina Mabrey out in that brand spanking new No. 4 Connecticut Sun jersey for the first time. She finishes with 19 and her new teammates, Alyssa Thomas and DeWanna Bonner, cheering her on the big screen.

  • Allisha Gray could really bring home $110K if she wins this one, too. She starts out the competition with 23.

  • The 3-point contest feels wide open this year. Sabrina Ionescu, who set the record for a WNBA and NBA 3-point event last year, is focused on Team USA and declined a spot. Caitlin Clark said she declined to snag some much-needed rest and enjoy her first All-Star. And legendary contestant Allie Quigley, who hasn’t played in the W in a couple seasons, retired from it.

    Tonight’s participants: Allisha Gray (Dream), Stefanie Dolson (Mystics), Jonquel Jones (Liberty), Kayla McBride (Lynx) and Marina Mabrey (newest member of the Sun).

  • Think winning these All-Star events doesn’t matter to the players beyond bragging rights? Allisha Gray earned 31% of her 2024 WNBA salary tonight. What if she wins the 3-point contest?

  • Rhyne Howard missed some time recently due to an ankle injury, and her status for the Olympics seemed to be up in the air. She had 12 points tonight. “Shooter’s shoot,” she told ESPN’s Holly Rowe after the win.

  • Rebounding kept U23 in it, but time ran out and Team USA secures the victory. You can check out Hamby, Burdick, Howard and Van Lith in Paris this month.

  • They announced Diana Taurasi on the jumbtron. Feel obliged to mention Penny Taylor, her wife who is here with her tonight, is also a WNBA icon and champion in Phoenix.

  • There’s been so much discussion this season about growth. Two years ago, the skills and 3-point competition were held in the Chicago convention center with no fans. Now, Footprint is quite nearly full and it is a full on V I B E. A heavy Mercury merch presence, but also a lot of people in All-Star jerseys for Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese were milling about outside today.

  • The arena is erupting and stands for Hall of Fame legend Cheryl Miller’s introduction on the big screen. She was the Mercury’s first head coach and led the franchise to its first Finals appearance. Very nice to see history celebrated here in Phoenix this weekend.

  • Hailey Van Lith talked this morning about how different training is for 3×3, versus playing a collegiate season. For one, the game is typically played outside (as it will be in Paris). She was in Las Vegas recently and trained outside in the middle of the day at around 2 p.m. for the full impact of the desert heat.

    Hailey Van Lith talked this morning about how different training is for 3×3, versus playing a collegiate season. For one, the game is typically played outside (as it will be in Paris). She was in Las Vegas recently and trained outside in the middle of the day aaround 2 p.m.

  • LSU star Flau’jae Johnson is courtside to enjoy the All-Star weekend festivities. How long before she’s a participant in this event?

  • The U23 team, which will compete in the FIBA 3×3 Nations League tournament in Mexico City next week, consists of collegians Cotie McMahon (Ohio State), Lucy Olsen (Iowa), Mikaylah Williams (LSU), Christina Dalce (Maryland), Morgan Maly (Creighton) and Serah Williams (Wisconsin).

  • Cierra Burdick, a former WNBA player, is often referred to as the mother of 3×3. I spoke to her this morning about the game. Team USA is treating this as training camp before Paris.

    “If you don’t go hard, you’re gonna get embarrassed,” Burdick said of the format in general. “I don’t want to get embarrassed and we’re also using this as preparation.”

    Team USA consists of Burdick, Hailey Van Lith (former Louisville/LSU, current TCU guard), Dream guard Rhyne Howard and Sparks forward Dearica Hamby.

  • The Kia car is exiting and for the first time in All-Star history, we’ll watch a 3×3 competition between Team USA and the U23 team. This is what I’m most excited to see. The format is really taking off — it could even be a developmental system for the WNBA — and it’s a first look at Team USA before it goes for a second consecutive Olympic gold




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