WNBA All-Star Weekend Recap: Top Moments and Performances

 

In a star-studded All-Star Weekend, so much history was made from the largest attendance in WNBA All-Star history (19,783) to record breaking winners in the events. 2026 All-Star Weekend did not disappoint.

Team Washington Dominates in Shooting Stars Contest

Understanding the Shooting Stars Contest Format

In the 2026 WNBA Shooting Stars Contest, each team consisted of a WNBA legend, current WNBA player, and rising high school star. In the First Round, each team had one minute and ten seconds for each player to shoot one shot from each of the seven marked spots. When a shot is made, a set number of points are awarded depending on the location of the marked shot. Shots made inside the paint are worth one point, shots made inside the arc are worth two points, shots outside of the arc are worth three points, and only shots made at Spot 7 are worth four points. Once the team makes it to the seventh shot, they may continue to shoot there until their time is up. That said, they must maintain the correct order of players shooting or the team will be disqualified. The teams in this contest are as followed:

• Team Washington: Elena Delle Donne, Shakira Austin, GG Banks

• Team Dallas/Detroit: Deanna "Tweety" Nolan, Jessica Shepard, Morghan Reckley

• Team Minnesota: Rebekkah Brunson, Courtney Williams, Ryan Carter

• Team Seattle: Lauren Jackson, Flau'jae Johnson, Tatiana Griffin

First Round Scores

In the First Round of the 2026 WNBA Shooting Stars Contest, Team Washington was electric as they not only shot well in numerous of the seven spots, but particularly in Spot 7. Despite saying she hadn't shot a basketball in years, WNBA legend Elena Delle Donne shot terrifically from nearly half court (Spot 7) and each of those makes were worth four points each. Team Washington put up a total of 35 points with Team Seattle coming right behind them with 26 points. Team Dallas/Detroit scored 20 points and Team Minnesota with 19 points of their own, though both teams were eliminated as the top two teams made it to the second and final round.

Final Round

In the Final Round of the 2026 WNBA Shooting Stars Contest, Team Seattle was up first, and Flau'jae Johnson was hot as she helped lead her team to 24 points. Looking to top Team Seattle's 24 points, Team Washington took to the court in the Final Round. Up until Spot 6, it was a tight battle between Team Washington and Team Seattle as Team Washington was yet to beat Team Seattle's score. With just 19 seconds remaining, GG Banks would hit a four-point shot from Spot 7 to put Team Washington over for the win. Continuing to shoot until the buzzer sounded, Team Washington took the victory with a total of 31 points in the Final Round. Team Washington (Elena Delle Donne, Shakira Austin, GG Banks) are your 2026 WNBA Shooting Stars Contest champions!

Azzi Fudd Becomes First Rookie in WNBA History to Win Three-Point Contest

Breaking Down the 3-Point Contest Format

Always a fan-favorite each year at All-Star Weekend, the WNBA Three-Point Contest followed the WNBA Shooting Stars Contest to close the first night of 2026 WNBA All-Star Weekend. The contest began with six contestants as followed: 

• Natisha Hiedeman (Seattle Storm)

• Bridget Carleton (Portland Fire)

• Azzi Fudd (Dallas Wings)

• Janella Salaun (Golden State Valkyries)

• Marina Mabrey (Toronto Tempo)

• Rhyne Howard (Atlanta Dream)

Each player has one minute and ten seconds to make it around the three-point line to shoot from five racks. Each rack has a total of five balls. Four of the five racks have four regular balls worth one point each and one "money ball" worth two points. The fifth rack can be placed in any spot chosen by each player and is the "money ball rack." The money ball rack consists of five money balls, each worth two points. Located at the top of the key are two "From the Logo" shots worth three points each, one on the right and one on the left.

First Round

Natisha Hiedeman got this contested started as she was the first player up. Though she struggled at the first rack, Hiedeman nailed a total of five money balls and seven regular balls for a total of 17 points. Up next, Bridget Carleton was on fire as she only missed a total of six shots, recording 29 points. The only rookie competing in the Three-Point Contest, Azzi Fudd put up an impressive 24 points in the First Round, eliminating Natisha Hiedeman. Following a terrific performance by Fudd and despite getting hot late, Janelle Salaun came just short of advancing to the Final Round as she scored 19 points. Looking to make her mark in All-Star Weekend, Marina Mabrey was on a burner early as made 4/5 of her money balls in her money ball rack. That said, her cold shooting from the final rack was enough to bring her short of passing Azzi Fudd as Mabrey scored a total of 18 points. Rounding out the First Round of the 2026 WNBA Three-Point Contest, Rhyne Howard came in third place with 20 points, ultimately getting eliminated. Bridget Carleton and Azzi Fudd advanced to the second and final round.

Final Round

Kicking off the Final Round of the contest, Azzi Fudd was looking to make history as she was just the fourth rookie to participate in the Three-Point Contest in WNBA history. Fudd was on fire as she nailed every shot in the first rack and only missed a total of six shots in the final round and scoring 30 points. Following an amazing round by Fudd, Carleton also had a commendable final round though her 19 points were not enough to top Azzi Fudd's performance. With that, Azzi Fudd won the 2026 WNBA Three-Point Contest and made history as the first rookie in WNBA history to do so. When asked by Holly Rowe what it means to now add another "crown" as the league's People's Princess, Fudd said, "Oh, I'm so grateful. This is amazing to be here, to be invited to do this. And this crowd, this turnout tonight was awesome. So, thank you guys for coming." 

A Star-Studded Showcase Ends with Team Spoon on Top

Team Spoon's Biggest Contributors Shine Bright

Coming into the 2026 WNBA All-Star Game, both teams were loaded with elite talent but with one common goal, have fun. In the midst of having a good time, some players made the game more competitive, and it was Team Spoon who came out on top, 129-122. Taking control early, Team Spoon had the lead early and really never looked back. Although Team Coop's Kelsey Mitchell led the entire game in points with 28 of her own followed by 23 points from Team Coop's All-Star Reserve, Marina Mabrey, it was a full team effort that led Team Spoon to the win. Eight players on Team Spoon scored in double figures which was a game changer in this matchup. That said, there was one player who shined the brightest and that was Jonquel Jones. Although she was a reserve heading into this contest, Jones proved that she has what it takes to not only be an All-Star, but also an All-Star Starter.

History Made: Jonquel Jones Captures All-Star Game MVP

In her sixth career All-Star appearance, Jonquel Jones showed up and showed out. Putting up 22 points, 13 rebounds, and 8 assists, Jones did it all for Team Spoon all while shooting 47% from the field and 36% from three. Although her success on the court was slightly overshadowed by other intriguing plays whether it was Dominique Malonga's dunk, Gabby Williams' one-legged three-pointer, etc., Jones' success was evident on paper. So much so that Jones earned All-Star Game MVP, making WNBA history. Jones is the first player in WNBA history to win four league MVP awards. Throughout her career, Jones has earned the following league MVP awards:

• WNBA MVP (2021)

• WNBA Commissioner's Cup MVP (2023)

• WNBA Finals MVP (2024)

• WNBA All-Star MVP (2026)