Allisha Gray Makes History at WNBA All-Star Skills Night
Atlanta Dream guard Allisha Gray made history on Friday night as she became the first player to win both the 3-point shooting contest and skills challenge in the same year at the WNBA All-Star Skills Night in Phoenix. Gray’s impressive performance in the competitions earned her a total of $115,150 in prize money, with $110,000 coming from Aflac and $5,150 from the WNBA.
Gray, who has a base salary of $185,000 this season, put on a show for the fans in attendance, scoring 22 points in the finals of the 3-point contest. Her closest competitor, Jonquel Jones of the New York Liberty, fell just short with 21 points, as her final shot bounced off the rim.
Reflecting on her victory, Gray admitted that she was nervous going up against Jones, who she described as a great 3-point shooter. “J.J.’s a great 3-point shooter. I even told her before, I was like, ‘I’m familiar with your shooting game. I know you gonna go out there and kill it.’ But when she got to that last one and the score was kind of close and she missed it, it was like a sigh of relief because she’s a great shooter,” Gray said.
In the skills contest, Gray was equally impressive, winning with a time of 32.1 seconds, narrowly edging out Sophie Cunningham of the Phoenix Mercury, who finished with a time of 34.5 seconds.
The 29-year-old guard is having a standout season for the Dream, averaging 15.5 points, 4.1 rebounds, and 2.5 assists in 24 games. She has knocked down 41 3-pointers so far this season, including a career-best six against the Las Vegas Aces on May 31.
Unfortunately, Indiana Fever rookie Caitlin Clark declined an invitation to compete in the 3-point contest, while Indiana’s Erica Wheeler was unable to participate in the skills competition due to a canceled flight.
Gray’s historic night at the WNBA All-Star Skills Night has solidified her status as one of the league’s top players, and fans can expect to see more impressive performances from her as the season continues.
–Field Level Media
