Can Allisha Gray pull off another WNBA All-Star sweep?
The Atlanta Dream All-Star guard will look to defend her Skills Challenge and 3-Point Contest crowns on Friday night at Gainbridge Fieldhouse, home of the Indiana Fever, in Indianapolis.
Gray last year became the first player to ever sweep both competitions, and just the third to win each event at least once overall. She beat out New York Liberty center Jonquel Jones by one point in the 3-Point Contest and bested then-Phoenix Mercury and current Fever guard Sophie Cunningham by two seconds in the Skills Challenge.
So, who are Gray’s opponents this year? And when do the events get underway? Here’s what to know about the WNBA 3-Point Contest and Skills Challenge:
What time does the WNBA 3-Point Contest, Skills Challenge start tonight?
The All-Star Friday night action gets underway at 8 p.m. ET/7 p.m. CT/5 p.m. PT.
What TV channel is the WNBA 3-Point Contest, Skills Challenge on?
ESPN will air the 3-Point Contest and Skills Challenge.
How can I stream the WNBA 3-Point Contest, Skills Challenge live online?
The action will also be available to stream on ESPN.com, the ESPN app, ESPN+ and Disney+.
Who’s in the WNBA 3-Point Contest?
Fever All-Star Caitlin Clark was set to compete in the 3-Point Contest before withdrawing from the competition and the All-Star Game due to a groin injury. She was replaced in the 3-Point Contest by teammate Lexie Hull, who’s shooting a blistering 46.8% from 3 this season with 29 total makes.
Hull will be up against four other sharpshooters, all of whom are All-Stars:
Ionescu won the 2023 3-Point Contest in record fashion, hitting 25 of 27 shots — the most ever by a WNBA or NBA player in the event. She’s made the fifth-most triples in the league this year (50) while shooting 31.1% from deep.
Gray ranks fourth in The W with 51 made 3s, connecting at a 38.1% clip, while Plum is second in 3-point makes (53) and sports a 35.8% from beyond the arc.
Citron, meanwhile, is shooting 36.5% from 3 with 35 makes in her impressive rookie campaign.
How does the WNBA 3-Point Contest work?
The 3-Point Contest is a two-round event where shooters race against the clock to rack up as many points as possible with a maximum of 27 shots.
Five racks containing five basketballs each are placed along the 3-point arc at different locations. Four of the racks contain four regular WNBA balls, equaling one point each, and one money ball, equaling two points each. A fifth rack contains all money balls, and each participant gets to choose where to place the money-ball rack.
There are also two long-distance “STARRY” balls positioned well beyond the arc that worth three points apiece.
The shooters with the two top scores in Round 1 advance to a head-to-head final.
Who’s in the WNBA Skills Challenge?
Three of the five Skills Challenge participants are All-Stars in Gray, Skylar Diggins and Courtney Williams. Here’s the full field:
How does the WNBA Skills Challenge work?
The Skills Challenge is a two-round event where players are tasking with completing an obstacle course as fast as possible.
The course requires participants to dribble, complete a variety of passes and make shots from both inside and beyond the 3-point line. A 2025 Kia Sorento Hybrid vehicle will also be part of the course.
Similar to the 3-Point Contest, the two players with the best times advance to a head-to-head final.
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