WNBA All-Star 2024: Dream's Allisha Gray wins both the Skills Challenge and 3-Point Contest

Jonquel Jones falls one shy of Gray's 22. Gray is leaving Phoenix with $115,150 for winning both contests. That's 62% of her 2024 base salary.

Gray finishes with 22 in the final round, one fewer than her round 1 score. Jones is up. She lost to Allie Quigley in 2021.

We almost had a center-versus-center 3-point contest final. It will be Jonquel Jones (25 points in round 1) vs. Allisha Gray (23 pts) going for the money.

Footprint center is LIT watching Jonquel Jones sink all these 3s. LET'S GO 6-FOOT-6 CENTER DRAINING THREES!

Kayla McBride hits 20 at the buzzer. The Lynx vet was on an absolute heater beyond the arc earlier this season, leading Minnesota to the Commissioner's Cup title last month. Mabrey is now eliminated.

Marina Mabrey out in that brand spanking new No. 4 Connecticut Sun jersey for the first time. She finishes with 19 and her new teammates, Alyssa Thomas and DeWanna Bonner, cheering her on the big screen.

Allisha Gray could really bring home $110K if she wins this one, too. She starts out the competition with 23.

The 3-point contest feels wide open this year. Sabrina Ionescu, who set the record for a WNBA and NBA 3-point event last year, is focused on Team USA and declined a spot. Caitlin Clark said she declined to snag some much-needed rest and enjoy her first All-Star. And legendary contestant Allie Quigley, who hasn't played in the W in a couple seasons, retired from it.

Tonight's participants: Allisha Gray (Dream), Stefanie Dolson (Mystics), Jonquel Jones (Liberty), Kayla McBride (Lynx) and Marina Mabrey (newest member of the Sun).

Rhyne Howard missed some time recently due to an ankle injury, and her status for the Olympics seemed to be up in the air. She had 12 points tonight. "Shooter's shoot," she told ESPN's Holly Rowe after the win.

Rebounding kept U23 in it, but time ran out and Team USA secures the victory. You can check out Hamby, Burdick, Howard and Van Lith in Paris this month.

They announced Diana Taurasi on the jumbtron. Feel obliged to mention Penny Taylor, her wife who is here with her tonight, is also a WNBA icon and champion in Phoenix.

There's been so much discussion this season about growth. Two years ago, the skills and 3-point competition were held in the Chicago convention center with no fans. Now, Footprint is quite nearly full and it is a full on V I B E. A heavy Mercury merch presence, but also a lot of people in All-Star jerseys for Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese were milling about outside today.

The arena is erupting and stands for Hall of Fame legend Cheryl Miller's introduction on the big screen. She was the Mercury's first head coach and led the franchise to its first Finals appearance. Very nice to see history celebrated here in Phoenix this weekend.

Hailey Van Lith talked this morning about how different training is for 3x3, versus playing a collegiate season. For one, the game is typically played outside (as it will be in Paris). She was in Las Vegas recently and trained outside in the middle of the day at around 2 p.m. for the full impact of the desert heat.

The U23 team, which will compete in the FIBA 3x3 Nations League tournament in Mexico City next week, consists of collegians Cotie McMahon (Ohio State), Lucy Olsen (Iowa), Mikaylah Williams (LSU), Christina Dalce (Maryland), Morgan Maly (Creighton) and Serah Williams (Wisconsin).

Cierra Burdick, a former WNBA player, is often referred to as the mother of 3x3. I spoke to her this morning about the game. Team USA is treating this as training camp before Paris.

"If you don't go hard, you're gonna get embarrassed," Burdick said of the format in general. "I don't want to get embarrassed and we're also using this as preparation."

Team USA consists of Burdick, Hailey Van Lith (former Louisville/LSU, current TCU guard), Dream guard Rhyne Howard and Sparks forward Dearica Hamby.

The Kia car is exiting and for the first time in All-Star history, we'll watch a 3x3 competition between Team USA and the U23 team. This is what I'm most excited to see. The format is really taking off — it could even be a developmental system for the WNBA — and it's a first look at Team USA before it goes for a second consecutive Olympic gold

Allisha Gray wins the 2024 WNBA skills challenge and she'll bring home a record bag of cash for it. Aflac committed $55,000 to each of the winners tonight, WNBPA president Nneka Ogwumike announced yesterday. The winner of each also receives $2,575 per the WNBA collective bargaining agreement.

The hometown crowd is amping up Sophie Cunningham here in the finals, as is teammate Brittney Griner on the sideline. She finishes in 34.5 seconds, a second quicker than her previous.