Kevin PeltonJul 18, 2025, 10:00 PM ET
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Co-author, Professional Basketball Prospectus collection
Previously a advisor with the Indiana Pacers
Developed WARP score and SCHOENE system
Indianapolis is internet hosting its first WNBA All-Star Sport. However the festivities had a New York taste Friday evening. The Liberty‘s Sabrina Ionescu gained the 3-point taking pictures contest for the second time in three years, whereas teammate Natasha Cloud took house the abilities problem title.
It’s the second time in WNBA historical past that gamers from the identical crew have gained each competitions, which have been held at each All-Star Sport since 2019, however the first time that has occurred with two completely different gamers. In 2024, Allisha Grey of the Atlanta Dream gained each competitions, however she was unable to efficiently defend both title Friday.
To interrupt down all the motion Friday within the expertise problem and 3-point contest, ESPN graded all 5 rivals in each competitions. All-Star Weekend continues Saturday (8:30 p.m. ET, ABC) with Group Clark vs. Group Collier.
Soar to: 3-point contest | Abilities Problem
3-point contest
Sabrina Ionescu, New York LibertyGrade: A
After sitting out final yr, Ionescu returned to point out why she and four-time winner Allie Quigley are the one acceptable solutions for the WNBA’s 3-point contest GOAT.
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For anybody else, Ionescu’s rating of 25 within the first spherical — tied for second better of the evening — would have been a spotlight. Ionescu made 13 of her final 16 shot makes an attempt, together with a deep 3. For Ionescu, that was only a warmup.
Within the ultimate, Ionescu missed her first two photographs and her final three, which led her to say she was “pretty disappointed” as a result of she “missed a few easy ones.” Everybody else was amazed by Ionescu making 11 consecutive photographs at one level, together with the deep 3, paying homage to her document rating of 37 throughout the 2023 ultimate.
Ionescu settled for a 30-point spherical, giving her two of the thrice WNBA gamers have scored 30-plus within the 3-point contest for the reason that present format was adopted in 2021. Quigley, with a spherical of 30 within the finals, was fittingly the opposite participant to achieve that mark.
Allisha Grey, Atlanta DreamGrade: A-
Going final because the defending champ, Grey arrange the anticipated showdown of the previous two winners by making 4 photographs and the cash ball from every of the final three racks. That tied Ionescu’s rating of 25 within the opening spherical. Grey obtained on an analogous roll from the left wing within the finals, going 5-for-5 after making the deep 3 from that facet, nevertheless it was already too late to catch Ionescu. Grey missed her first 4 photographs of the finals and went 0-of-5 from the highest of the important thing. Grey’s rating of twenty-two factors within the finals nonetheless matched the perfect spherical by anybody however her and Ionescu.
Kelsey Plum, Los Angeles SparksGrade: B
The center of Plum’s spherical put her within the early lead. She made three from the highest of the important thing, the precise deep 3 and 4 of 5 from the precise wing. Had Plum made her ultimate shot, value two factors, she would have made issues actually attention-grabbing for the 2 finalists. As a substitute, Plum completed third behind the 2 earlier champions.
Sonia Citron, Washington MysticsGrade: B-
The lone rookie within the discipline may need wanted to maneuver her cash ball rack. Citron made 4 of her high-arching photographs from the left wing and all 5 from the highest of the important thing however went 1-of-5 from the precise wing with double factors for all photographs. Merely flipping the 2 wings would have given Citron a pair extra factors and pushed her out of final place. For that spot, Citron’s rating was greater than respectable.
Lexie Hull, Indiana FeverGrade: B-
The Fever’s solely participant to compete Friday was a late alternative for teammate Caitlin Clark, who needed to withdraw because of damage. Early on, it seemed like Hull’s shot — reliant on a big vertical leap — may not translate to the 3-point contest. She had simply three factors via the primary two racks earlier than making one of many deep 3s. Hull caught fireplace down the stretch, making eight of her final 10 photographs — together with 4 of 5 from the cash ball rack — nevertheless it wasn’t sufficient to achieve the finals.
Abilities problem
Natasha Cloud, New York LibertyGrade: A
I believed Cloud was out of the finals after she wanted all three makes an attempt on each 3-point photographs, however she managed to race via the ultimate move and the ring for a layup simply forward of Erica Wheeler’s time of 37.5 seconds. Cloud ended with the evening’s two finest occasions, displaying a mastery of each talent and the technique that may separate winners from losers within the expertise problem.
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Natasha Cloud beats buzzer to win WNBA Abilities Problem
Natasha Cloud beats the buzzer with 1.1 seconds to spare, edging Erica Wheeler’s 37.5 to win the WNBA All-Star Abilities Problem.
Erica Wheeler, Seattle StormGrade: A-
The longtime member of the Indiana Fever obtained an enormous cheer from the gang when she referred to her home-court benefit within the competitors. It seemed like that may be sufficient to hold the 2019 All-Star MVP to victory, overcoming a gaffe within the opening spherical. Specializing in fundamentals and making her first shot or move, Wheeler had sufficient cushion to advance although she smoked her first layup try. Within the finals, Wheeler set the bar for Cloud, however slowing down when she wanted a number of makes an attempt on the above-the-break 3-pointer value her.
Allisha Grey, Atlanta DreamGrade: B-
The defending champ, Grey moved shortly via the course — maybe too quick for her personal good. Grey was already attempting to maneuver on to the following station when she missed her first chest move and needed to double again. Grey wanted all three makes an attempt, leaving her too far behind to achieve the ultimate spherical regardless of sturdy taking pictures.
Courtney Williams, Minnesota LynxGrade: C
After a powerful begin with bounce passes, Williams wasn’t clear sufficient the remainder of the spherical. Williams wanted a number of makes an attempt on her outlet passes and photographs, leaving her with a rating of 42.0 seconds that surpassed solely Diggins. Forward of taking part in in Saturday’s All-Star Sport, that left Williams time to give attention to her livestream with Natisha Hiedeman.
Skylar Diggins, Seattle StormGrade: C-
Diggins’ opening spherical mirrored a problem with the abilities problem guidelines that the NBA and WNBA haven’t rectified after the San Antonio Spurs had been disqualified at NBA All-Star Saturday Evening for making an attempt to take advantage of it. As a result of gamers transfer on with no penalty after three missed photographs (or passes), there’s no precise profit to creating the final shot — as Diggins did from all three areas. The time Diggins spent on these makes an attempt doomed her to the primary spherical’s slowest time.
