New York Liberty superstar Sabrina Ionescu remains the queen of the WNBA All-Star 3-point contest.
Ionescu, who holds the 3-point competition record in both the WNBA or NBA after scoring 37 of 40 points in 2023, took down defending champion Allisha Gray of the Atlanta Dream Friday night in the 3-point contest final at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis ahead of the 2025 WNBA All-Star Game on Saturday, July 19.
Ionescu became just the second WNBA player to win the 3-point competition multiple times, joining four-time winner Allie Quigley.
‘It means everything. The last time I was here in (Indianapolis) against Steph (Curry), I lost, so I feel like I had to come back and redeem myself,’ Ionescu said, referring to the first-ever NBA vs. WNBA 3-point challenge during the 2024 NBA All-Star weekend in Indianapolis, where she went head-to-head with Golden State Warriors superstar Stephen Curry. ‘I feel like we put on a great show.’
Ionescu channeled her 2023 performance and recorded 30 points in the final round on Friday, marking the second highest total of all-time. Gray finished with 22 points. Ionescu made 11 consecutive 3-point shots and hit both STARRY balls, which were worth three points each. But if you ask Ionescu, she left some points on the board.
‘I’m pretty disappointed. I missed a few easy ones there that I definitely could have made,’ she said. ‘I’m sorry about that, but happy to be here and happy to have one with my teammate Natasha Cloud, who won (the skills competitions) as well.’
The Liberty swept the WNBA All-Star festivities on July 18 with Cloud beating the Seattle Storm’s Erica Wheeler in the final of the skills competition. Here’s a full recap of the 2025 WNBA All-Star festivities:
Sabrina Ionescu wins 3-point contest, again
Ionescu recorded 30 points to reclaim her 3-point contest championship.
Sabrina Ionescu vs. Allisha Gray in 3-point final
The final of the WNBA All-Star’s 3-point contest includes the two former champions — Sabrina Ionescu and Allisha Gray. They both made history doing so. Ionescu set the 3-point competition record in the WNBA or NBA after knocking down 37 of 40 3s en route to a victory in 2023. Gray made history of her own last year when she became the first player in WNBA history to sweep the skills challenge and 3-point contest in the same season.
‘Just try and make the ones that I missed. Easier said than done, but going to try to make as many as I can,’ Ionescu said. before Round 2 started. ‘Just try to stay in the moment, be where my feet are at and feed off this amazing crowd.’
Gray said she’s going to ‘take my time, don’t focus on the time on the clock. Just stay poised.’ Gray hit seven threes, five money balls and one STARRY ball to finish with 22 points, but it wasn’t enough to win back-to-back titles.
Tyrese Haliburton, Lisa Leslie in the building
The star-studded crowd at Gainbridge Fieldhouse on Friday includes Indiana Pacers star Tyrese Haliburton.
Haliburton has been a mainstay at Fever games, most recently at the Fever’s loss against Golden State on July 9. Caitlin Clark has returned the favor. Clark attended Game 4 of the NBA Finals between the Indiana Pacers and Oklahoma City Thunder alongside several of her teammates.
‘He loves basketball,’ Clark said earlier this month. ‘He certainly loves the Fever and he loves this state.’
The crowd also included the Miami Heat’s Bam Adebayo, who was seated next to A’ja Wilson, Juju Watkins, Lisa Leslie and Pau Gasol. Ionescu called Gasol ‘my brother.’ She added, ‘Happy to have Pau (Gasol) and (wife) Kat here, who traveled far to support the WNBA.’
WNBA 3-point contest underway
Round 1 results:
Atlanta Dream guard Allisha Gray (25)
New York Liberty guard Sabrina Ionescu (25)
Los Angeles Sparks guard Kelsey Plum (22)
Indiana Fever guard Lexi Hull (20)
Washington Mystics guard Sonia Citron (19)
Kelsey Plum opened up the 3-point competition with a score of 22 points. She got off to a slow start, but knocked down one of the STARRY balls worth three points and hit seven of the last 10 shots to close the round.
Sonia Citron is vying to become the first rookie to win. She scored 19 points in the first round.
Lexie Hull got off to a rocky start, but she hit a STARRY ball and four money balls to finish with 20 points.
Sabrina Ionescu is back in the finals yet again with 25 points after hitting a STARRY ball and five money balls, which are worth two points each. She made 13 of her final 16 threes.
Allisha Gray finished with 25 points after hitting seven money balls.
Natasha Cloud wins WNBA Skills challenge
The 2025 WNBA Skills Challenge came down to the final second … literally. New York Liberty guard Natasha Cloud finished the obstacle course with 1.1 seconds to spare, narrowly defeating Seattle Storm guard Erica Wheeler. Cloud becomes the second Liberty player to win the skills challenge, following Sabrina Ionescu’s win in 2022.
Both Wheeler and Ionescu ran to hug Cloud under the basket in celebration of her victory.
‘I knew (passing) was a definite for me. I knew I was gong to hit my passes in these obstacles,’ Cloud said after her win. ‘Getting into my shots, I wanted to take my time. … Once I got to the last STARRY (ball), I looked up at the clock and had three seconds. I said, ‘Don’t smoke this layup.’
Cloud said she’s going to use her $55K prize money to put a down payment on a house.
Natasha Cloud, Erica Wheeler advance to final
Natasha Cloud (34.1 seconds) and Erica Wheeler (36.5 seconds) advanced to the second and final round of the 2025 WNBA skills challenge after recording the top two times in the first round.
‘I think the biggest thing is staying patient. I honestly feel like I have home court advantage,’ said Wheeler, who played for the Indiana Fever from 2016-2019 and 2023-2024. ‘I feel (the support) and thanks for cheering for me even if I’m with the Seattle Storm.’
Cloud said she’s just going to ‘be myself. Being confident and try to finish this thing out.’
Wheeler finished slightly slower than her first round with a time of 37.5 seconds. Her shots weren’t falling like her first run at the obstacle course, but at least she made the final layup on the first attempt.
2025 WNBA All-Star skills challenge underway
The WNBA skills challenge features a timed obstacle course consisting of three bounce passes, speed dribbles, a chest pass, a 3-point shot from the top of the arc, an elbow jumper, a corner 3, an outlet pass 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.
Courtney Williams of the Minnesota Lynx is up first and finished with a time of 42 seconds.
Natasha Cloud of the New York Liberty completed the course in 34.1 seconds.
Skylar Diggins of the Seattle Storm was officially eliminated with a time of 44.3 seconds.
Erica Wheeler of the Seattle Storm breezed through the obstacle course in 36.5 seconds. She could’ve finished even faster if she didn’t smoke her final layup on the first attempt.
Defending champion Allisha Gray of the Atlanta Dream got hung up on the chest pass and was eliminated with a time of 39.4 seconds.
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
When is the WNBA 3-point competition? Roster, format
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
How much do WNBA players win at All-Star?
Winning extra money is always fun. The winner of the skills challenge will win $55K, which matches the NBA, while the 3-point competition winner will walk away with a $60K check.
How many STARRY balls are in the WNBA All-Star 3-Point Contest?
Two ‘STARRY balls’ are in play on Friday. Two pedestals holding a single ‘STARRY ball’ each will be set up deep beyond the arc from the ‘STARRY Range.’ Each ‘STARRY ball’ is worth three points each.
Sabrina Ionescu holds 3-point contest record
Sabrina Ionescu currently holds the 3-point competition record in the WNBA or NBA. She set the record at the 2023 All-Star Weekend in Las Vegas after finishing with a score of 37 out 40 total points. Ionescu was nearly perfect in her final run, knocking down 25 of 27 three-point shots.
Ionescu competed in the first-ever NBA vs. WNBA 3-point challenge during the 2024 NBA All-Star weekend in Indianapolis, where she went head-to-head with Golden State Warriors superstar Stephen Curry. Ionescu went first and put up a score of 26. Curry followed with 29 points to win. He shared a friendly hug with Ionescu before being presented with the championship belt. (Ionescu matched the score Damian Lillard tallied to win the 3-point contest earlier in the night.)
‘Being able to have this crossover and understanding the respect I’ve been able to receive from a lot of the NBA guys,’ Ionescu said at the time. ‘It’s going to show a lot of young kids out there, a lot of people who might have not believed or even watched women’s sports that we’re able to go out there and put on a show. So it was really exciting to finally be able to do this. Like Steph said, it happened perfectly.’
WNBA 3-point contest winners, by year
Ionescu and Gray are vying to become the second WNBA player to win the 3-point competition multiple times, joining Allie Quigley, who won the shootout a record four times. Here’s a list of every 3-point contest winner:
2024: Allisha Gray, Atlanta Dream (Phoenix)
2023: Sabrina Ionescu, New York Liberty (Las Vegas)
2022: Allie Quigley, Chicago Sky (Chicago)
2021: Allie Quigley, Chicago Sky (Las Vegas)
2019: Shekinna Stricklen, Connecticut Sun (Las Vegas)
2018: Allie Quigley, Chicago Sky (Minnesota)
2017: Allie Quigley, Chicago Sky (Seattle)
2010: Katie Douglas, Indiana Fever (Connecticut)
2009: Becky Hammon, San Antonio Silver Stars (Connecticut)
2007: Laurie Koehn, Washington Mystics (Washington D.C.)
2006: Dawn Staley, Houston Comets (New York)
WNBA 3-point leaders
New York Liberty’s Leonie Fiebich currently leads the league in 3-point percentage, shooting 50% from beyond the arc in 14 games this season after knocking down 22 of 44 threes.
Rhyne Howard currently leads the league in made threes this season (56), followed closely by Kelsey Plum (53), Kayla McBride (52), Allisha Gray (51) and Sabrina Ionescu (50). Howard was sidelined from All-Star activities due to a left knee injury, but Plum, Gray and Ionescu are all set to compete in the 3-point competition, in addition to Sonia Citron (35) and Lexie Hull (29).
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
Caitlin Clark injury update: Clark ruled out of 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.’
Trio of rookies on WNBA All-Star roster follow in Caitlin Clark, Angel Reese’s footsteps
Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark and Chicago Sky forward Angel Reese created immediate impact when they entered the league, earning All-Star nods during their first season as pros. Clark and Reese might have set a new benchmark for first-year players. Walking in their footsteps would be no easy feat. However, the class of 2025 wasn’t daunted. It met the moment this season with three WNBA All-Stars: Bueckers and Washington Mystics guard Sonia Citron and forward Kiki Iriafen. The trio will play in their first All-Star Game on July 19 in Indianapolis.
Opinion: WNBA should take lesson from U.S. Soccer, pay players before it gets ugly
INDIANAPOLIS — Some friendly advice for WNBA leaders as they negotiate with the players on a new contract:
Don’t make the same mistake U.S. Soccer did in 2019 by underestimating the players’ resolve. It will not go well for you, either in the negotiations or the court of public opinion.
The players and the WNBA had their first face-to-face meeting in months Thursday during All-Star weekend. To say it was lacking in substance is an understatement. “Wasted opportunity,” “disrespectful’ and ‘frustration’ were words used by players to describe it.
Team Caitlin Clark: WNBA All-Star game roster
Clark didn’t appear to have much of a strategy heading into Tuesday’s WNBA All-Star draft, saying, ‘I’m going on vibes. I’m picking whatever comes to mind. We’re just having fun. My team is going to be fun. You get to be in front of the home crowd in Indianapolis.’ However, Clark had a game plan to select her teammates. She’ll now help coach her team after being ruled out (right groin).
Starters
Aliyah Boston, Center, Indiana Fever
Sabrina Ionescu, Guard, New York Liberty
A’ja Wilson, Forward, Las Vegas Aces
Brionna Jones, Forward, Atlanta Dream
Replaced Phoenix Mercury forward Satou Sabally
Brittney Sykes, Guard, Washington Mystics
Replaced Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark
Reserves
Kelsey Mitchell, Guard, Indiana Fever
Gabby Williams, forward, Seattle Storm
Sonia Citron, Guard, Washington Mystics
Kiki Iriafen, Forward, Washington Mystics
Jackie Young, guard, Las Vegas Aces
Kayla Thornton, Forward, Golden State Valkyries
Team Napheesa Collier: WNBA All-Star game roster
Napheesa Collier had a clear cut strategy heading into the draft — shoot for current and former teammates. ‘I feel like got to try to get some of my (Unrivaled) Owls girls on here and got to try to get some of my (UConn) Huskies girls on here, so I’ve got an agenda coming into today,’ Collier said.
Starters
Breanna Stewart, Forward, New York Liberty
Allisha Gray, Guard, Atlanta Dream
Nneka Ogwumike, Forward Seattle Storm
Paige Bueckers, Guard, Dallas Wings
Reserves
Courtney Williams, guard, Minnesota Lynx
Skylar Diggins, Guard, Seattle Storm
Angel Reese, forward, Chicago Sky
Alyssa Thomas, Forward, Phoenix Mercury
Kelsey Plum, guard, Los Angeles Sparks
Kayla McBride, guard, Minnesota Lynx
Replaced Atlanta Dream guard Rhyne Howard
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