July 19, 2024; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Atlanta Dream player Allisha Gray participates in the Skills Challenge during the WNBA All-Star Skills Night at the Footprint Center. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports Atlanta Dream guard Alyssa Gray emerged as the first player that year to win the 3-Point Contest and Skills Challenge on Friday night, the night before the WNBA All-Star Game in Phoenix.
Gray received $115,150 in bonuses, $110,000 from Aflac and $5,150 from the WNBA. On Thursday, insurance company Aflac pledged $55,000 to the winner of each contest.
That caps off a pretty good earnings night for Gray, who has a base salary of $185,000 this season.
Gray scored 22 points in the three-point final. Jonquil Jones of the New York Liberty scored 21 points when his final shot bounced off the rim.
“I was nervous because she was shooting in a row,” said Gray, who has made 300 career 3-pointers in the regular season. “JJ is a great three-point shooter. I even told her that before, and I was like, 'I'm familiar with your shooting mechanics. I know you're going to go out there and kill it.'
“But when she got to the last shot and it was close and she missed it, it was like a relief because she's such a good shooter.”
Indiana Fever rookie Caitlin Clark declined an invitation to participate in the 3-point contest.
In the skills competition, Gray won with a time of 32.1 seconds over the Phoenix Mercury's Sophie Cunningham (34.5 seconds).
Gray, 29, is averaging 15.5 points, 4.1 rebounds and 2.5 assists in 24 games this season, her eighth in the WNBA. She made 41 three-pointers, including a career-high six on May 31 against the Las Vegas Aces.
Indiana's Erica Wheeler missed the skills competition because her flight was canceled.
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