Ruocco Ryan, the ESPN play-by-play announcer, exclaimed, “We have never seen such a great performance in this contest before!” Sabrina Ionescu from the New York Liberty won the title at the All-Star Weekend in Las Vegas in 2023. This is a record-breaking performance that could be seen in either the WNBA or NBA. Ionescu knocked down an impressive 25 out of 27 three-point shots and her final run was almost perfect.
Ionescu, the champion of the 2022 WNBA All-Star Skills Challenge, expressed, “My main concentration was on making each shot individually. Although I was uncertain about the number of misses, I was aware that they were minimal.” “I frequently engage in rigorous training sessions like these, and I successfully accomplished it today.”
Ionescu concluded the game with a total of 37 points. (Money shots are valued at two points and Starry shots are valued at three points.) Sami Whitcomb from the Seattle Storm secured the second place with 24 points, whereas Arike Ogunbowale from the Dallas Wings earned the third place with 11 points.
In the field for Friday’s contest, Allie Quigley was not even sitting out and the 2023 season. She was cheered on by the crowd at Michelob ULTRA Arena, along with her fellow contestants. Ionescu cleared the way for herself to hoist the 3-point trophy, by winning the last four shootouts. Since 2017, Allie Quigley, who reigned over the contest-point 3, has been dethroned, making way for Ionescu.
“I’m truly fortunate to be in this position,” Ionescu stated.
Whitcomb outperformed others with the top score (28) in the initial round, followed by Ionescu (26) and Ogunbowale (21). However, DiJonai Carrington from the Connecticut Sun (18), Kelsey Mitchell from the Indiana Fever (15), and Jackie Young from the Las Vegas Aces (15) did not make it to the next stage.
The 2023 WNBA All-Star 3-point competition concluded the celebrations for Friday. The All-Star Game will take place on Saturday.
2023 WNBA ALL-STAR GAME? Schedule, television broadcast, streaming, full lineups, important details.
TEAM ROSTERS: A’ja Wilson selects Aces teammates, Aliyah Boston, for the WNBA All-Star Game.
Team Vegas emerges victorious in the Skills Challenge
The All-Star Chelsea Gray from the Las Vegas Aces recently demonstrated why she was the top pick in the All-Star draft.
Courtney Vandersloot, who was a teammate of Sabrina Ionescu on the New York Liberty team, lifted the Aces Team over the defending champion, Gray, to win the All-Star Skills Challenge in the WNBA 2023.
“Chelsea led us,” Kelsey Plum said of her teammate.
Gray arrived to provide assistance, however, Plum was unable to successfully make a corner three-point shot, failing to connect on all three of her tries. She encountered difficulties during the last phase of the skills challenge, which included executing a 25-inch chest pass, performing pylon dribbles, making a basket in the lane, attempting a corner three-pointer, and shooting a basket on the opposite side of the court. Plum’s statement about her performance was indeed truthful.
Gray expressed, after co-hosting the skills trophy ceremony alongside Plum, “This event is quite enjoyable, and I am delighted.” Gray flawlessly completed a run, securing a time of 46 seconds for Team Vegas. “I had been practicing beforehand and simply aimed to maximize my attempts.”
Nevertheless, Ionescu did not encounter any difficulties in the three-point competition. On the contrary hoop, Ionescu failed to make two three-pointers in the corner, while Vandersloot missed all three of her attempts from the same corner. Both of them faced challenges in scoring from beyond the arc, and Team Liberty completed the event in 58 seconds, following Vandersloot and Ionescu.
On Saturday in the All-Star Game, Gray and Plum will be participating on Team A’ja Wilson, whereas Vandersloot and Ionescu will be representing Team Breanna Stewart.
