INDIANAPOLIS — Napheesa Collier was the most important of the All-Stars on Saturday as her Group Collier beat Group Clark 151-131 at Gainbridge Fieldhouse. The Minnesota Lynx ahead scored an All-Star Game-record 36 factors as her squad dominated all through.
The gamers spent a number of the weekend sending a message that they need to receives a commission extra by the league, as each side are within the midst of collective bargaining. The town of Indianapolis embraced internet hosting the sport, and the followers confirmed out in full pressure regardless of crew captain Caitlin Clark being sidelined by damage.
Far more dialogue will come all through the remainder of this season on labor negotiations, and the damage standing of marquee gamers akin to Clark can be a seamless subject.
However right here, we grade the person performances of the 22 All-Stars on the courtroom (and Friday’s members within the 3-point contest and the abilities problem). Indianapolis will get an A-plus for all it did to publicize the sport and switch downtown right into a celebratory house. Which gamers acquired the opposite high grades?
Soar to: Group Collier | Group Clark | 3-point contest | Expertise problem
Winners: Group Collier
Napheesa Collier, F, Minnesota Lynx
Grade: A+
This was as near a one-woman present as an All-Star Game might be for MV-Phee. She was 13-of-16 from the sphere and 6-of-6 from the foul line. This recreation would not depend towards regular-season stats, however Collier is capturing 94.6% (105-of-111) from the free throw line this season. Collier, who leads the league in scoring (23.2 factors per recreation), is the season MVP favourite for the first-place Lynx. So, maybe Saturday was only a prelude to her selecting up that trophy in a few months.
Skylar Diggins, G, Seattle Storm
Grade: A+
A local of South Bend, Indiana, Notre Dame legend Diggins was terrific within the All-Star Game again in her residence state. She had the primary triple-double — 11 factors, 11 rebounds and 15 assists — in WNBA All-Star Game historical past and appeared to have a good time doing it. Diggins, making her seventh All-Star Game look, is averaging 17.5 factors and 5.8 assists this season for the Storm.
Kelsey Plum, G, Los Angeles Sparks
Grade: A
Plum had a scorching begin and for some time appeared as if she would possibly contend for MVP, earlier than Collier ran away with it. The longtime Las Vegas Aces star now in her first season in Los Angeles completed with 16 factors, 5 rebounds and three assists. And she or he will get further credit score for a few of enjoyable antics, akin to guarding former Aces teammate A’ja Wilson all the way in which down the sidelines and out of bounds on one comical sequence within the first half.
Nneka Ogwumike, F, Seattle Storm
Grade: A
She was practically excellent from the sphere — going 7-for-8 — and that included 2-of-2 from behind the arc. Ogwumike had a career-high 30 3-pointers final season, and he or she is bound to interrupt that mark this yr with 27 on the season already. The ten-time All-Star additionally had seven rebounds and three assists.
Allisha Grey, G, Atlanta Dream
Grade: B+
Final yr’s double winner of the 3-point contest and abilities problem competed in each occasions once more this season. That is spectacular, even when she did not efficiently defend both title. Then Grey, who’s averaging a career-high 18.4 PPG this season, put up 18 factors Saturday, going 5-of-12 from behind the 3-point arc.
Courtney Williams, G, Minnesota Lynx
Grade: B+
Williams and her Lynx “Studbudz” teammate Natisha Hiedeman made probably the most of being all over the place and having fun with every little thing on All-Star Weekend. So, Williams will get further credit score for that. She additionally had work to do: Williams competed within the abilities problem and in Saturday’s All-Star Game, wherein she completed with 13 factors, 5 assists and a couple of rebounds.
Paige Bueckers, G, Dallas Wings
Grade: B
In her first All-Star Game, the Rookie of the Yr favourite and No. 1 draft choose made her mark by facilitating, simply as Clark did final season. Bueckers had eight assists to go together with six factors.
Alyssa Thomas, F, Phoenix Mercury
Grade: B
This would possibly look like a excessive grade contemplating Thomas had simply six factors. However think about how environment friendly she was: 3-of-4 from the sphere, 4 rebounds, 4 assists and plus-14 in 13 minutes of play. Thomas, the face of the Connecticut Solar for therefore lengthy, has grow to be a favourite of Phoenix’s X-Issue fan base and has helped make the Mercury a possible title contender.
Kayla McBride, G, Minnesota Lynx
Grade: B-
A substitute participant for Atlanta’s Rhyne Howard, “McBuckets” is one other participant with Indiana connections, as she additionally starred at Notre Dame. McBride helped lead the Lynx to the WNBA Finals final yr, and he or she is an enormous a part of them being in first place now. She posted 15 factors Saturday, however she will get dinged slightly for going 4-of-12 from the sphere
Breanna Stewart, F, New York Liberty
Grade: B-
It was a reasonably quiet All-Star Game for Stewart, who received her third WNBA title final yr and is making an attempt to assist the Liberty repeat. Stewart went 4-of-8 from the sphere for 8 factors to go together with 4 rebounds and a couple of assists. However she will get further credit score for passing to injured Rhyne Howard on the bench and permitting her to take a shot.
Angel Reese, F, Chicago Sky
Grade: B-
Reese, the league’s main rebounder, had simply six factors, however she nonetheless grades within the Bs because of 9 rebounds and ending plus-17 in her 17 minutes of play. Plus, Group Collier was so good that we simply do not suppose anybody ought to get a mean grade. — Michael Voepel
Losers: Group Clark
Kelsey Mitchell, G, Indiana Fever
Grade: A
The Fever fan favourite has been on an environment friendly scoring run within the common season that carried over to the All-Star Game. She led Group Clark with 20 factors on 8-of-13 capturing and likewise tallied 2 rebounds, 2 assists and a couple of steals. And nobody has extra of an appreciation for the resurgence of the Fever franchise than Mitchell, who’s in her eighth season in Indiana and has seen the very best of instances blossom after the worst.
Kiki Iriafen, F, Washington Mystics
Grade: A
The rookie and No. 4 draft choose was dynamic and enjoyable in her first All-Star look, getting a double-double with 17 factors and 10 rebounds. She was 7-of-15 from the sphere. Iriafen has been an enormous a part of the Mystics’ better-than-expected 11-11 season.
Kayla Thornton, F, Golden State Valkyries
Grade: A
In her tenth marketing campaign, Thornton is having a profession yr as she has helped launch the Valkyries growth franchise. This was her first All-Star Game look, and he or she made probably the most of it with 15 factors, 11 rebounds and 5 assists.
Gabby Williams, F, Seattle Storm
Grade: A-
Making her first All-Star look in her seventh WNBA season, Williams made her presence felt. She completed with 16 factors and 5 assists. Her expertise on protection wasn’t on show on the All-Star Game, however anticipate it again as quickly because the common season resumes.
Brionna Jones, F, Atlanta Dream
Grade: B+
Jones is thought for her quiet, reliable effectivity, and that described her on this All-Star Game. She performed simply 12 minutes however went 5-of-6 from the sphere for 11 factors whereas including 3 rebounds and three assists. A substitute participant for Satou Sabally, Jones capitalized on her alternative. And she or he has been an excellent addition to the Dream this season.
Sabrina Ionescu, G, New York Liberty
Grade: B+
Ionescu made an enormous contribution to All-Star Weekend with one other thrilling efficiency in profitable the 3-point competitors, and we need to give her some further credit score for that right here. On Saturday, she was 4-of-8 from the sphere for 12 factors to go together with seven assists.
Aliyah Boston, F, Indiana Fever
Grade: B-
She has been a tower of power for the Fever since she was drafted No. 1 right here in 2023. So, it was good to see Boston get a number of love from the Gainbridge Fieldhouse crowd for this recreation as she posted 9 factors, 6 rebounds and a couple of assists.
Sonia Citron, G, Washington Mystics
Grade: B-
Like Iriafen, No. 3 draft choose Citron acquired an opportunity to be an All-Star as a rookie. She additionally took half within the 3-point capturing contest Friday, and Sabrina Ionescu shared a part of her 3-point winnings along with her. Citron registered 11 factors, 2 assists and a couple of rebounds within the All-Star Game.
Brittney Sykes, G, Washington Mystics
Grade: B-
Sykes was the substitute for Caitlin Clark and had an general good evening — apart from behind the arc, the place she was 0-for-9. Nonetheless, Sykes had 16 factors, 7 assists and three rebounds. This season, she has been mentor for fellow All-Stars Citron and Iriafen, who’re rookies with the Mystics.
A’ja Wilson, F, Las Vegas Aces
Grade: C
The three-time MVP has handled some damage points this season and did not need to play quite a bit within the All-Star Game. She was in for 12 minutes and completed 2-of-4 from the sphere for 4 factors to go together with 2 rebounds and a couple of assists. Now, it is again to making an attempt to determine how you can assist deliver extra consistency for the 11-11 Aces.
Jackie Younger, G, Las Vegas Aces
Grade: None
The 2-time WNBA champion and two-time Olympic gold medalist — again in her native state of Indiana, the place she grew up in Princeton then starred at Notre Dame — performed only one minute as a consequence of coping with an damage. — Voepel
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1:49
Sabrina Ionescu ‘redeems herself’ after loss to Steph Curry
Sabrina Ionescu jokes with Holly Rowe about redeeming herself to win her second WNBA 3-point contest.
3-point contest
Friday’s festivities had a New York taste. The Liberty’s Sabrina Ionescu received the 3-point capturing contest for the second time in three years, whereas teammate Natasha Cloud took residence the abilities problem title.
It is the second time in WNBA historical past that gamers from the identical crew have received each competitions, which have been held at each All-Star Game since 2019, however the first time that has occurred with two totally different gamers. In 2024, Allisha Grey of the Atlanta Dream received each competitions, however she was unable to efficiently defend both title Friday.
Sabrina Ionescu, New York Liberty
Grade: A
After sitting out final yr, Ionescu returned to point out why she and four-time winner Allie Quigley are the one acceptable solutions for the WNBA’s 3-point contest GOAT.
Editor’s Picks
2 Associated
For anybody else, Ionescu’s rating of 25 within the first spherical — tied for second better of the evening — would have been a spotlight. Ionescu made 13 of her final 16 shot makes an attempt, together with a deep 3. For Ionescu, that was only a warmup.
Within the closing, Ionescu missed her first two photographs and her final three, which led her to say she was “fairly disenchanted” as a result of she “missed a number of simple ones.” Everybody else was amazed by Ionescu making 11 consecutive photographs at one level, together with the deep 3, paying homage to her document rating of 37 in the course of the 2023 closing.
Ionescu settled for a 30-point spherical, giving her two of the 3 times WNBA gamers have scored 30-plus within the 3-point contest for the reason that present format was adopted in 2021. Quigley, with a spherical of 30 within the finals, was fittingly the opposite participant to achieve that mark.
Allisha Grey, Atlanta Dream
Grade: A-
Going final because the defending champ, Grey arrange the anticipated showdown of the previous two winners by making 4 photographs and the cash ball from every of the final three racks. That tied Ionescu’s rating of 25 within the opening spherical. Grey acquired on the same roll from the left wing within the finals, going 5-for-5 after making the deep 3 from that aspect, but it surely was already too late to catch Ionescu. Grey missed her first 4 photographs of the finals and went 0-of-5 from the highest of the important thing. Grey’s rating of twenty-two factors within the finals nonetheless matched the very best spherical by anybody however her and Ionescu.
Kelsey Plum, Los Angeles Sparks
Grade: B
The center of Plum’s spherical put her within the early lead. She made three from the highest of the important thing, the correct deep 3 and 4 of 5 from the correct wing. Had Plum made her closing shot, price two factors, she would have made issues actually attention-grabbing for the 2 finalists. As an alternative, Plum completed third behind the 2 earlier champions.
Sonia Citron, Washington Mystics
Grade: B-
The lone rookie within the subject may need wanted to maneuver her cash ball rack. Citron made 4 of her high-arching photographs from the left wing and all 5 from the highest of the important thing however went 1-of-5 from the correct wing with double factors for all photographs. Merely flipping the 2 wings would have given Citron a pair extra factors and pushed her out of final place. For that spot, Citron’s rating was greater than respectable.
Lexie Hull, Indiana Fever
Grade: B-
The Fever’s solely participant to compete Friday was a late substitute for teammate Caitlin Clark, who needed to withdraw as a consequence of damage. Early on, it appeared like Hull’s shot — reliant on a big vertical leap — won’t translate to the 3-point contest. She had simply three factors by means of the primary two racks earlier than making one of many deep 3s. Hull caught hearth down the stretch, making eight of her final 10 photographs — together with 4 of 5 from the cash ball rack — but it surely wasn’t sufficient to achieve the finals. — Kevin Pelton
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1:24
Natasha Cloud beats buzzer to win WNBA Expertise Problem
Natasha Cloud beats the buzzer with 1.1 seconds to spare, edging Erica Wheeler’s 37.5 to win the WNBA All-Star Expertise Problem.
Expertise problem
Natasha Cloud, New York Liberty
Grade: A
I assumed Cloud was out of the finals after she wanted all three makes an attempt on each 3-point photographs, however she managed to race by means of the ultimate cross and the ring for a layup simply forward of Erica Wheeler’s time of 37.5 seconds. Cloud ended with the evening’s two greatest instances, displaying a mastery of each ability and the technique that may separate winners from losers within the abilities problem.
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Group Collier dazzles with artistic three-player layup sequence
Group Collier will get artful with a behind-the-back help and a wraparound cross that results in a clean end on the rim.
Erica Wheeler, Seattle Storm
Grade: A-
The longtime member of the Indiana Fever acquired an enormous cheer from the group when she referred to her home-court benefit within the competitors. It appeared like that is likely to be sufficient to hold the 2019 All-Star MVP to victory, overcoming a gaffe within the opening spherical. Specializing in fundamentals and making her first shot or cross, Wheeler had sufficient cushion to advance though she smoked her first layup try. Within the finals, Wheeler set the bar for Cloud, however slowing down when she wanted a number of makes an attempt on the above-the-break 3-pointer price her.
Allisha Grey, Atlanta Dream
Grade: B-
The defending champ, Grey moved shortly by means of the course — maybe too quick for her personal good. Grey was already making an attempt to maneuver on to the subsequent station when she missed her first chest cross and needed to double again. Grey wanted all three makes an attempt, leaving her too far behind to achieve the ultimate spherical regardless of sturdy capturing.
Courtney Williams, Minnesota Lynx
Grade: C
After a robust begin with bounce passes, Williams wasn’t clear sufficient the remainder of the spherical. Williams wanted a number of makes an attempt on her outlet passes and photographs, leaving her with a rating of 42.0 seconds that surpassed solely Diggins. Forward of enjoying in Saturday’s All-Star Game, that left Williams time to give attention to her livestream with Natisha Hiedeman.
Skylar Diggins, Seattle Storm
Grade: C-
Diggins’ opening spherical mirrored a problem with the abilities problem guidelines that the NBA and WNBA have not rectified after the San Antonio Spurs had been disqualified at NBA All-Star Saturday Evening for making an attempt to take advantage of it. As a result of gamers transfer on with no penalty after three missed photographs (or passes), there is not any precise profit to creating the final shot — as Diggins did from all three places. The time Diggins spent on these makes an attempt doomed her to the primary spherical’s slowest time. — Pelton