CHICAGO — Jonquel Jones, Nneka Ogwumike and Dominique Malonga made WNBA historical past Saturday night time.
It was fairly the All-Star occasion within the league’s thirtieth season.
Jones had 22 factors, 13 rebounds and eight assists, serving to Caitlin Clark and Team Spoon outlast Marina Mabrey and Team Coop 129-122 within the WNBA All-Star Game.
Playing with a heavy coronary heart after the demise of an aunt, Jones was named MVP. The 32-year-old New York Liberty heart turned the primary participant to win the league, WNBA Finals, Commissioner’s Cup and All-Star MVP awards.
“No matter what mood I’m in, basketball can pick me back up,” Jones mentioned, “and so just leaning into that.”
Malonga threw down a first-half dunk for Team Coop, however Team Spoon had eight gamers rating in double figures in an All-Star Game that featured 127 3-point makes an attempt and little or no protection. Allisha Gray had 19 factors for Team Spoon, and Clark completed with 17.
It was the primary WNBA All-Star Game in Chicago since 2022. This time, the marquee occasion was performed in entrance of a report crowd of 19,783 on the United Center as an alternative of the smaller Wintrust Arena in downtown Chicago.
“To be able to have tonight, have 19,000 people in the highest attendance ever in the All-Star Game just really shows that our league is growing, and people want to be around us and want to be a part of this and understand how special it is,” Jones mentioned.
Ogwumike scored 11 factors for Team Spoon and handed Maya Moore (119) for probably the most profession factors in All-Star Game historical past.
Kelsey Mitchell had 28 factors for Team Coop, and Mabrey scored all of her 23 factors throughout a red-hot first half. The 20-year-old Malonga completed with 12 factors and 13 rebounds.
“I got to see a few go down early,” mentioned Mabrey, who matched the WNBA scoring report when she had 53 factors for Toronto in a win over Los Angeles on June 25. “That’s kind of like my thing. Get them up when they’re going in.”
WNBA greats Cynthia Cooper and Teresa Weatherspoon drafted the All-Star groups from gamers who had been both voted as starters by followers, media and fellow gamers or chosen as reserves by the league’s coaches. Las Vegas’ Becky Hammon coached Cooper’s staff, and Minnesota’s Cheryl Reeve was in command of Weatherspoon’s squad.
Clark went 5-for-15 from past the arc and had 5 assists in her return to the All-Star Game. The Indiana Fever guard missed final 12 months’s occasion in Indianapolis due to a groin harm.
“Last year really stunk being in our home city. You never want to miss that for the fans,” Clark mentioned. “I love to show up and compete.”
Clark, 24, got here out firing, connecting from 33 toes and 37 toes on her approach to 11 factors within the first 2½ minutes. She buried one other 3 early within the second quarter off a slick no-look cross from Minnesota Lynx guard Olivia Miles, the one rookie chosen for the sport.
Clark and Mabrey every placed on an offensive present, however Malonga bought the most important cheer of the night time. The 6-foot-6 heart from the Seattle Storm ran down the lane, bought a cross from Angel Reese and threw down a right-handed jam with 6:24 left within the first half.
Reese jumped up and down as Malonga completed the play, and the 2 exchanged a mid-air chest bump on their approach again down the court docket.
“The way [Malonga] makes it look easy, the excitement around it,” mentioned Paige Bueckers, who scored 12 factors for Team Coop. “I love Dom … really happy for her in just how easy she makes it look.”
It was the primary dunk in a WNBA All-Star Game since Sylvia Fowles in 2022. Lisa Leslie (2005), Jones (2017), Brittney Griner (2019) even have completed the feat.
“It just felt amazing,” Malonga mentioned throughout an on-court interview. “I just felt blessed every day to evolve in this league amongst these amazing players.
“I’m actually, actually grateful simply to have the chance to go away my mark right here.”
Leslie attended the festivities, along with South Carolina coach and former WNBA guard Dawn Staley. Former NBA star Dwyane Wade also was courtside.
A’ja Wilson might have had the funniest moments of the night. The four-time MVP accidentally blocked Reese in the second quarter. Wilson had her arms raised but was backing away from Reese in transition, but Reese’s attempted layup was still swatted away. Wilson turned and covered her mouth as if to apologize.
“Angel was not supposed to do this,” Wilson said playfully. “I used to be attempting to get out of the way in which. I don’t like to block pictures throughout All-Star Games as a result of what am I doing? So yeah, no, I’ve by no means had that occur to me, and I’m so sorry.”
In the third quarter, Wilson demanded that coach Reeve use a coach’s review — a rarity for All-Star Games — on a disputed loose ball.
“I knew it was clearly off my hand, however truthfully, I simply wanted a break,” Wilson said. “I used to be testing to ensure the refs had been on level.”
The Associated Press and ESPN’s Kareem Copeland contributed to this report.
