WNBA 2024 All-Star Friday: Allisha Gray wins skills challenge, 3-point shootout
Atlanta Dream team dinners are now on guard Allisha Gray.
While Gray repeatedly said “I’m just here to have fun” in her media availability Friday morning, Gray won both the skills challenge and the 3-point shootout, becoming the first player in WNBA history to do so on the same night. Seemingly more importantly for her, she received a significant pay-day because of it.
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This year’s Friday night events include a bigger purse for the participants. In addition to the $2,575 of prize money mandated by the CBA, the winners also receive a $55,000 bonus courtesy of Aflac and the WNBPA. Nneka Ogwumike, president of the players association, announced the sponsorship Thursday.
Gray appeared to be shot out of a cannon at the start of the skills challenge, setting the tone for a dominant performance in the weekend’s opening event. She recorded the fastest time in the preliminary round of 31.2 seconds, deliberately using her speed to overcome some misses on the jump-shooting portions.
In the final round against Sophie Cunningham, Gray knew she’d be a little more fatigued, which manifested itself in six combined miss 3-pointers from the wing and corner. However, Gray flew through the passing and dribbling obstacles, edging Cunningham by 2.4 seconds.
Prior to Friday’s event, Gray said, “I’m a big money-saver. I like to invest my money on things so who knows it could be my starting money for another business.” She admitted afterward to being cheap.
After winning the skills competition, Gray said she’d go on a shopping and golfing spree with her earnings. She later said she’d treat team meals, too.
“You know I got them. Dinner on me,” Gray said. “They gotta plan it. I just pay the bill.”
Gray’s salary this season is $185,00, according to Her Hoop Stats. For winning both events, she earned 62.2 percent of that on one night, with at least another $2,575 coming her way for participating in Saturday’s All-Star Game.
Gray won the 3-point shootout with a final round score of 22. Every shot mattered as New York Liberty center Jonquel Jones finished the final round with 21. Jones missed her final shot that would have otherwise given her the win. As Jones attempted her final 3-pointer, Gray said she was nervous. Afterward, the Dream All-Star felt a sigh of relief.
She was immediately mobbed by Dream teammate Rhyne Howard, fellow South Carolina alum A’ja Wilson, and other participants from the event.
“Now I’m glad I accepted the call when they asked me to participate in both of them,” Gray said.
Jones had finished second in the 3-point contest once before, doing so during her MVP-winning season in 2021. That year, she lost to four-time champion Allie Quigley. Jones scored the most points of any shooter in the first round of the 3-point shootout, with 25.
Gray had 23 in the first round, while Kayla McBride, Stefanie Dolson and Marina Mabrey had 21, 20, and 19 points respectively, and were eliminated before the final stage.
However, Gray flew through the passing and dribbling obstacles, edging Cunningham by 2.4 seconds. She then went on to beat New York Liberty forward Jonquel Jones in the 3-point shootout.
It took until Wednesday evening for the WNBA to publicly announce the fields for Friday evening’s skills challenge and 3-point shootout.
A member of the New York Liberty (Jonquel Jones) and Fever (Mitchell, having replaced Wheeler) were included, but they were not the players who many expected; Liberty guard Sabrina Ionescu and Indiana guard Caitlin Clark were not among the shootout’s field.
The WNBA confirmed both Clark and Ionescu received invitations to participate in the 3-point contest, but that both declined.
“It’s not an easy thing to show up and shoot off the racks. It’s not something I’ve ever done before,” Clark said. “It’s not something I’ve had a lot of time to practice. I’ve been focusing on helping my team win games. So I think just enjoying this break. I think there are going to be plenty of opportunities for me to do that at some point.”
Sky forward Angel Reese was also not listed in any of the events. Reese told reporters the WNBA invited her to participate in the skills challenge but that she declined the invite. “I just wanted to enjoy my first All-Star, watch everything and just enjoy the moment,” Reese said.
Brittney Griner of the Phoenix Mercury led things off in the first round, but the 3-pointers befuddled the 6-foot-9 center in the skills challenge course. She was redeemed by a strong performance from her teammate Cunningham, who was the final entrant in the field of five and secured a top-two time by 0.2 seconds to advance to the final.
Cunningham implored the Phoenix crowd to get louder for her prior to the second round, led off with an improved time.
