DOUG FEINBERG, Associated Press

12 minutes ago

PHOENIX (AP) — Allisha Gray became the first player in WNBA history to win both the 3-point and skills competitions in the same year. She won both titles Friday night.

The Atlanta Dream guard defeated Jonquel Jones 22-21 in the final 3-point shootout, after beating Sophie Cunningham in the skills competition by just over 2 seconds.

Jones was looking to become the first post player to win the 3-point contest. She also reached the finals in 2021, but lost to four-time champion Allie Quigley. Jones had a chance to win the contest, but her final shot — the two-point money ball — fell short.

She scored 25 points in the opening round — the highest of the five competitors. Gray had 23 points.

Neither reigning champion Sabrina Ionescu nor sensational rookie Caitlin Clark competed in the 3-point contest this year. Ionescu is playing for the US at the Olympics and is focused on preparing for the Paris Games.

After playing virtually nonstop for nine months between college and the WNBA, Clark just wanted to take some time to relax.

“I think the biggest thing for me was, it’s just like, I need a break,” she said. “I’m going to take some time for myself to enjoy what I want to do, and sometimes that can be a tough position to be in, but I think it was the healthiest thing for me.”

Brittney Griner was the only member of the U.S. Olympic team to compete in both events. She completed the obstacle course in 46.3 seconds.

There was also a 3-on-3 exhibition match between the US team going to the Paris Olympics and an under-23 team of top students from the university.

The Olympic team won the thrilling match 19-16, with Rhyne Howard scoring the final eight points for the winners, making four 2-point shots. She finished the match with 12 of the team’s 19 points.

The game is played with one- and two-pointers for 10 minutes or until one team scores 21 points.

Marina Mabrey, who transferred from Chicago to Connecticut on Wednesday, wore a Sun jersey for the first time. She and Gray competed in both the skills competition and the 3-point shootout. Mabrey narrowly missed the skills competition final.

Gray received $2,575 from the league for each win, according to the collective bargaining agreement, but also received $110,000 from Aflac as part of a partnership with the WNBPA.

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AP WNBA: https://apnews.com/hub/wnba-basketball