WNBA All-Star Weekend has come and gone, and it was an action-packed couple of days in Chicago. The competitors started on Friday night time, as Azzi Fudd, Natisha Hiedeman, Bridget Carleton, Marina Mabrey, Rhyne Howard, and Janelle Salaun battled within the Three-Level Contest.
Then, on Saturday night time, Staff Spoon beat Staff Coop 129-122 within the All-Star recreation, headlined by massive performances from Jonquel Jones, Allisha Grey, Caitlin Clark, and Nneka Ogwumike, amongst others.
Right here had been the largest winners from All-Star weekend.
The Dallas Wings guard turned the first-ever rookie to win the Three-Level Contest at All-Star Weekend. Fudd made 17 of 27 threes within the first spherical, earlier than finally edging out Bridget Carleton within the closing spherical with a rating of 30 (after hitting 21 of 27 threes). Portland Hearth guard Bridget Carleton got here in second place.
“It’s enjoyable to do as a result of — and I don’t need to sound cocky — nevertheless it’s straightforward to me, simply the set shot,” Fudd mentioned after the win. “Take the ball from the rack; it truly is muscle reminiscence. It’s what I’ve been doing since I used to be younger.”
Fudd is capturing 38.7% from three in her rookie season. Because the winner of the three-point shootout, she earned a $70,000 prize.
Dominique Malonga, Seattle Storm
The 20-year-old French phenom dunked for the primary time in her WNBA profession on Saturday night time. Malonga, named an All-Star in her second season, completed the All-Star recreation with 12 factors and 13 rebounds, however no second was as massive as her breakaway slam. She joins Lisa Leslie, Jonquel Jones, Brittney Griner, and Sylvia Fowles as gamers to have dunked in WNBA historical past.
Malonga is having an outstanding sophomore marketing campaign for the Storm, averaging 16.3 factors and eight.5 rebounds per recreation, whereas capturing 47.6% from the sector.
Jonquel Jones, New York Liberty
Jonquel Jones’ listing of accolades retains on rising. The Liberty star gained All-Star Sport MVP after pouring in 22 factors, 13 rebounds, and eight assists, including to her assortment of {hardware} that features a Finals MVP (2024), a Commissioner’s Cup MVP (2023), a league MVP (2021), and 6 All-Star appearances. Jones turned the one participant in WNBA historical past with all 4 MVP awards.
Jones’ weekend, nonetheless, was in some way tainted by the truth that a controversial remark of hers was picked up on Courtney Williams and Natisha Hiedeman’s StudBudz stream on Thursday night time. Jones informed Williams that the Minnesota Lynx deserved to win greater than the Liberty in 2024, a remark that nearly immediately went viral and angered Liberty followers.
“What I mentioned, it didn’t actually come out in the way in which that I meant it,” Jones mentioned Saturday, whereas visibly emotional. “What I used to be simply saying is which you could have a workforce that has quite a lot of chemistry, that’s nice on paper, that has had a fantastic season, and it’s nonetheless not sufficient to get it completed, and that’s what I used to be attempting to clarify to her with that entire clip.
Courtney Williams (Minnesota Lynx) and Natisha Hiedeman (Seattle Storm)
It was the second consecutive 12 months of the StudBudz stream, and it was as soon as once more an enormous hit. The 24/7 livestream didn’t come with out its controversial moments (see: above), however Courtney Williams and Natisha Hiedeman efficiently took followers behind the scenes for the largest weekend of the WNBA season whereas persevering with to showcase their very own inimitable personalities.
On prime of the StudBudz stream, each gamers additionally had their very own on-court obligations at All-Star, too.
Williams appeared in her third All-Star Sport, including 12 factors and seven assists in 19 minutes off the bench. Hiedeman was not an All-Star, however appeared within the Three-Level Contest. (Hiedeman tallied the bottom rating within the subject, ending with 17 factors within the opening spherical).
Williams and Hiedeman have now develop into an integral a part of the All-Star Weekend viewing expertise.
#massive #winners #WNBA #AllStar #Weekend
Supply hyperlink
