While Caitlin Clark isn’t competing on the first day of WNBA All-Star weekend, there will still be plenty of stars to watch in Friday night’s Skills Challenge and 3-Point Contest. The festivities will also feature a 3×3 exhibition matchup between the USA Basketball 3×3 Women’s National Team and the USA Basketball 3×3 U23 National team.
The Skills Challenge includes 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.
WNBA 3-Point Contest participants: Jonquel Jones (New York Liberty), Stefanie Dolson (Washington Mystics), Allisha Gray (Atlanta Dream), Marina Mabrey (Connecticut Sun) and Kayla McBride (Minnesota Lynx).
The WNBA All-Star Game, which features Team USA vs. Team WNBA in a pre-Olympics tune-up, will be held on Saturday at 8:30 p.m. ET.
How to watch the WNBA Skills Challenge, 3-Point Contest
Date: Friday, July 19
Time: 9 pm ET
Channel: ESPN
Follow along with Yahoo Sports’ Cassandra Negley for live updates as WNBA All-Star weekend kicks off on Friday.
Live27 updates
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
Allisha Gray wins the skills challenge
Allisha Gray wins the 2024 WNBA skills challenge and she’ll bring home a record bag of cash for it. Aflac committed $55,000 to each of the winners tonight, WNBPA president Nneka Ogwumike announced yesterday. The winner of each also receives $2,575 per the WNBA collective bargaining agreement.
The hometown crowd is amping up Sophie Cunningham here in the finals, as is teammate Brittney Griner on the sideline. She finishes in 34.5 seconds, a second quicker than her previous.
Allisha Gray and Sophie Cunningham advance to the Skills Challenge finals
Kelsey Mitchell, replacing Erica Wheeler and wearing her No. 17 jersey, does not finish the course in time, which means Allisha Gray and Sophie Cunningham advance to the finals.
Kelsey Mitchell, going fourth, does not make it into the top two times to advance in the Skills Challenge.
Allisha Gray and Sophie Cunningham had the top two times to move into the finals. pic.twitter.com/ydvyDbiIuy
