The 2023 WNBA All-Star Weekend got underway on Friday with the Skills Challenge and 3-Point Contest. Sabrina Ionescu stole the show in the 3-Point Contest with a record-setting performance in the championship round. She hit 20 shots in a row at one point, missed just twice and finished with 37 points, a record for a WNBA or NBA contest.
Ionescu’s effort was a bit of revenge for the Skills Challenge, where she and Courtney Vandersloot were defeated in the championship round by Chelsea Gray and Kelsey Plum of Team Aces. Gray, the reigning Finals MVP, came up clutch once again in that event to seal the trophy for her team.
Here’s a look back at an exciting afternoon of hoops:
3-Point Contest
Closing out Friday’s action was the 3-Point Contest, which largely followed the classic format that has made it a staple event for both WNBA and NBA All-Star Weekends. The main difference with this year’s contest was the addition of two “Starry” balls, which were placed well behind the 3-point line and worth three points each.
The stars of the first round were Sami Whitcomb and Sabrina Ionescu, who each hit both of the “Starry” balls worth three points and were consistent across all five racks. Whitcomb poured in 28…
