Ionescu wins 3-point shootout; Cloud captures skills title in Liberty's All-Star showcase sweep

Sabrina Ionescu delivered another impressive shooting performance to capture her second 3-point contest title during All-Star.

The Liberty’s star guard, who has also won the title in 2023 with a record performance, has a strong final round; scoring 30 points to beat defending champion Allisha Gray. It capped off a dominant night for New York as Liberty teammate Natasha Cloud also claimed victory in the skills competition.

"I knew I am not going to get it when I missed a few on the front end," Ionescu stated of the record. "However, I could have gotten close. I just missed some easy ones at the end.  I was high up there, and I rather locked out a little bit and started like listening to the crowd. However, I mean, 30 is not too bad. So I'm happy with 30 as well."

Ionescu did not match her record-setting performance from two years ago, when she hit 25 of 27 shots for a historic score of 37 — the highest ever in WNBA or NBA history. However, her 30 tied the second-best score in the event, equaling Allie Quigley’s mark. Quigley, who has won the contest four times, is the only other player with multiple titles.

Ionescu skipped last year’s WNBA All-Star 3-point contest to prepare for the Olympics. However, she did take part in the NBA’s version in Indianapolis, where she faced off against Steph Curry in a special showdown. Although she narrowly lost that time, she returned to Indianapolis determined not to fall short again.

As Cloud made her final layup, Ionescu sprinted over and embraced her in a big hug. Afterward, Cloud walked to center court, lifted her girlfriend — Liberty teammate Isabelle Harrison — and shared a kiss. She later shared that she plans to use her winnings as a down payment on a house for the two of them.

In summary, Cloud received $55,000 from Aflac as part of a partnership with the WNBPA, and an additional $2,575 from the league. Ionescu won $62,575 -- $60,000 from Aflac and $2,575 from the league.

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Marwa O

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