A big celebration at the WNBA All-Star Game - but embarrassing misses stole the show

The WNBA All-Star Game was held tonight (between Saturday and Sunday) in Chicago, where Teresa Weatherspoon's team defeated Cynthia Cooper's team 129:122. Jonquel Jones was the big star and won the MVP title: the New York Liberty forward finished with 22 points, 13 rebounds, and 8 assists in just 22 minutes, becoming the first international player in league history to be named MVP of the All-Star Game. In addition, she joined Lisa Leslie, Candace Parker, and Maya Moore as only the fourth player to win the season MVP, Finals MVP, and All-Star Game MVP titles during her career.

After the game, Jones, a Bahamas native, said she considered not playing at all because her late aunt's memorial service was held on the same day, but after talking to her family members, she decided to come to Chicago.

Caitlin Clark, who returned to the All-Star Game after missing the event last year due to a groin injury, started with a storm, hitting her typical three-pointers, and eventually finished with 19 points. On the other side, Kelsey Mitchell led Cooper's team with 28 points, while Dominique Malonga finished with 12 points and 13 rebounds and even provided the highlight of the evening when she scored a dunk, the first in a WNBA All-Star Game since Sylvia Fowles in 2022.

The game was held in front of a record crowd for an All-Star Game of the league — 19,783 spectators at the United Center in Chicago — and illustrated the continued growth of the WNBA. Both teams attempted no less than 127 three-pointers together in a game characterized by minimal defense — and also quite a few embarrassing misses.

Even before the game, Azzi Fudd, the number 1 pick in the 2026 draft by the Dallas Wings, won the three-point contest and became the first rookie in WNBA history to do so. Fudd scored 30 out of 40 possible points in the final and defeated Bridget Carleton from Portland. She won a cash prize of $70,000, of which $30,000 was guaranteed.