INDIANAPOLIS — Sabrina Ionescu showcased her remarkable shooting skills during the All-Star weekend, clinching the 3-point contest title for the second time on Friday night.
The star guard of the Liberty scored an impressive 30 points in the final round, surpassing defending champion Allisha Gray and cementing her place as one of the best shooters in the league.
This victory marked a continuation of the Liberty’s success for the night, as Ionescu’s teammate Natasha Cloud triumphed in the skills competition.
“It’s fun, I was so excited for her, we were talking about it before we even came out here,” Ionescu shared. “About being able to participate in it together and cheer each other on.”
Ionescu’s 30 points in the final round were notable, though slightly shy of her record-breaking 37 points from two years ago, during which she made 25 of 27 shots — a record for both the WNBA and NBA.
With her performance, she matched the second-highest total in the 3-point contest’s history, equaling Allie Quigley’s previous mark. Quigley holds the distinction of being the only player to win the contest more than once, having achieved this feat four times.
Notably, Ionescu opted out of participating in last year’s WNBA All-Star 3-point contest as she focused on preparing for the Olympics. However, she did compete in the NBA All-Star event in Indianapolis against famed shooter Steph Curry but did not win that matchup.
After her recent victory, Ionescu expressed her delight, stating, “I called Steph and showed off the trophy.”
Defending champion Gray faced challenges during this year’s 3-point contest, scoring 22 points and failing to reclaim her title after her historic win last season.
Gray started the final round needing to surpass Kelsey Plum’s score of 22 points to advance. She notably hit her final four shots, including the money ball, which allowed her to tie and move forward against Ionescu.
Plum, representing the Los Angeles Sparks, aimed to make WNBA history by becoming the first player to win an All-Star MVP, skills challenge, and 3-point contest throughout her career.
Lexie Hull participated as a substitute for her Indiana teammate, Caitlin Clark, who suffered a right groin injury earlier in the week. Hull managed to score 20 points, thus finishing fourth in the contest. From the sidelines, Clark rallied the crowd in support of Hull.
Rookie Sonia Citron of Washington also made her mark in the opening round, scoring 19 points.
Meanwhile, Cloud made her All-Star weekend debut in her 11-year career, winning the skills competition. In the finals, she competed against Seattle’s Erica Wheeler, needing to outpace her time of 37.5 seconds.
Despite missing all her shots from the corner over a windmill defender, Cloud completed the obstacle course in an impressive 36.4 seconds, finishing 1.1 seconds faster than Wheeler.
After her victory, Cloud celebrated with Ionescu and shared a tender moment with her girlfriend and Liberty teammate Isabelle Harrison, who had encouraged her to win to help secure a down payment for their future home.
“You’re gonna get that house,” Cloud assured Harrison after her win.
In recognition of her performance, Cloud received $55,000 from Aflac, aligned with a partnership with the WNBAPA, and an additional $2,575 from the league under the collective bargaining agreement.
Ionescu, on the other hand, earned $60,000 from Aflac along with the same $2,575 prize from the league.
Ionescu pledged to share half of her winnings with Citron, a commitment made during their time on the bench before the contest. She expressed her sentiments, stating, “I told Sonya that I would give her half if I won when we were sitting on the bench, being the only rookie she was nervous, and I was nervous for her. Obviously have to hold up my end of the bargain. So half is going to go to her.”
Wheeler returned to the competition this year after missing last year due to flight issues, receiving a warm welcome back from fans during her introduction.
In contrast, defending champion Gray struggled during the skills competition, marked by misses on three chest passes, which negatively impacted her time and hopes for a successful title defense.
Ultimately, Gray clocked in at 39.4 seconds, falling short behind Cloud and Wheeler’s times from the opening round. Other competitors, Courtney Williams and Skylar Diggins, also did not advance, finishing in times of 42.0 and 44.3 seconds, respectively.
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