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Watch: A'ja Wilson and other WNBA stars celebrate wildly after Allisha Gray wins both Skills Challenge and 3-Point Contest
Atlanta Dream's Allisha Gray was a double winner on Friday night in Phoenix after winning the Skills Challenge and 3-Point Contest during the WNBA All-Star weekend festivities. Among those who celebrated her big night, both on the court and on social media, was Las Vegas Aces superstar A'ja Wilson.
The eight-year guard out of South Carolina edged out New York Liberty's Jonquel Jones 22-21 in the 3-Point Contest. Gray was the first one to shoot in the finals and watched on nervously as Jones made an assault on her final score, only to fall short in the final rack.
Once she realized she had won, Gray could not contain her excitement at the sound of the buzzer and celebrated with fellow WNBA stars, including two-time champion Wilson.
Watch Allisha Gray celebrate with Wilson and other WNBA stars below:
Wilson also celebrated Allisha Gray's big win on X/Twitter:
"I'm so happy for Lish man OMG! I'm not paying for another dinner my friend a shootah."
Gray finished second in the preliminary round with 23 points, behind Jones' 25. Other 3-Point Contest participants were Stefanie Dolson (Washington), Marina Mabrey (Connecticut) and Kayla McBride (Minnesota).
The 2023 3-Point Contest winner Sabrina Ionescu chose not to compete in this year's edition of the shootout as she focuses on Team USA playing in the 2024 Paris Olympic Games beginning later this month.
Indiana Fever rookie sensation Caitlin Clark also chose not to participate, opting to take some time off to relax after a packed schedule over the past year.
Allisha Gray beats Sophie Cunningham in Skills Challenge
Gray's victory in the 3-Point Contest capped an eventful first day in the WNBA All-Star weekend events on Friday as she also bagged the Skills Challenge earlier on, defeating Phoenix Mercury star Sophie Cunningham.
Despite having her struggles from the 3-point line in the finals, the Atlanta Dream All-Star guard still went on to finish the obstacle course with an impressive time of 32.1 seconds compared to Cunningham's 34.2.
She topped the preliminary round, ahead of Cunningham, Brittney Griner (Phoenix), Marina Mabrey (Connecticut) and Kelsey Mitchell (Indiana) to book a spot in the finals. Furthermore, she received a whopping $110,000 for winning both competitions.
The two-time All-Star was the eighth winner of the event, which combines a player's passing, dribbling and shooting skills, joining past winners like Seimone Augustus, Becky Hammon and Sabrina Ionescu.
Gray is currently in her second year with the Dream after spending six seasons with the Dallas Wings. In the current season, she is averaging a team-high 15.5 points, to go along with 4.1 rebounds and 2.5 assists in 33 minutes of play.
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