Liberty sweep: Natasha Cloud and Sabrina Ionescu dominate WNBA All-Star Friday
Cloud was first up, making her All-Star debut in the skills challenge, 10 years into her professional career. She was followed by teammate Sabrina Ionescu in the 3-point shootout, and she predicted both Liberty guards would walk away with hardware.
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'We're trying to do Liberty Biberty all night tonight,' Cloud said.
And her proclamation was fulfilled.
Cloud set the tone in the skills challenge, recording the fastest time of 34.1 seconds in the first round. She aced the passing skills and made enough jumpers to advance to the final alongside Seattle Storm guard Erica Wheeler. Allisha Gray, Courtney Williams and Skylar Diggins missed the cut.
Wheeler went first in the second round as the challenger, posting a reasonable 37.8 seconds, though the corner 3-pointer over the spinning wheel befuddled Wheeler all night. Cloud had difficulty with the jumpers as well, but had about eight seconds left when she turned for home with the outlet pass and layup. She nailed the outlet pass in one attempt and raced to finish the layup with 1.1 seconds to spare, greeted immediately by a bear hug from Wheeler and then another celebration with Ionescu.
'Once I looked up, I got 3 seconds, I said, 'Don't smoke this layup,'' Cloud said after winning the event.
Ionescu kept up her end of the bargain in the second event. Kelsey Plum opened the 3-point shootout with a score of 22, child's play for the type of performances Ionescu has produced in this showcase. Sonia Citron and Lexie Hull followed with 19 and 20 apiece, putting minimal pressure on the Liberty guard. Ionescu responded with a respectable 25 despite missing three moneyballs, securing her place in the final round.
Ionescu had to go first in the final when Gray matched her score of 25, and she set an enviable pace. She didn't match the 20 shots in a row she made in 2023, but she drained 12 consecutive, including six moneyballs and a Starry logo shot, to take control. Ionescu's command of the Starry ball (worth three points) was the separator. She made three of four logo shots over two rounds, while Gray missed all four.
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Ionescu's final score of 30 ties Allie Quigley for the second-highest in WNBA history. Ionescu also joined Quigley as the contest's only multi-time winner. The New York guard is still two wins behind the recently retired Quigley's four.
This is the second consecutive season the WNBPA has partnered with Aflac to award the skills challenge winner $55,000 — the same amount given to the winner at NBA All-Star Weekend — in addition to the $2,575 from the WNBA. Cloud told ESPN's Holly Rowe after the event that if she won, she planned to use the prize money for a down payment on a house. Upon receiving her trophy, Cloud looked at her partner Isabelle Harrison on the sideline — who was rocking the No. 9 Cloud Liberty jersey — and said, 'Baby, we're gonna get that house.' — Sabreena Merchant
Wheeler has had an itinerant WNBA career. She went undrafted in 2013 and didn't debut until 2015, but she latched on with Indiana in 2016 and stayed through 2019, when she made the All-Star Game for the first time and won MVP. She also returned to the Fever in 2023-24 before joining the Seattle Storm this offseason. Wheeler was the clear fan favorite during the first event and thanked Fever fans for showing her love even after leaving Indiana.
'I honestly feel like I got home-court advantage,' Wheeler said after the first round. 'I feel it, and I thank you guys for all the love and for always cheering for me, even when I'm with the Seattle Storm.'
Wheeler wasn't the only Storm guard to participate in the skills challenge. Her teammate Skylar Diggins was also a contestant, and Friday served as a homecoming of sorts for the 34-year-old. Diggins, who was eliminated in the first round, is a South Bend, Ind., native. She starred at Washington High School in South Bend and was named Indiana Miss Basketball and a McDonald's All-American in 2009. Diggins went on to lead Notre Dame to three Final Fours before becoming a seven-time All-Star in the WNBA. In her second season in Seattle, Diggins earned her first All-Star selection in 2022. — James Boyd
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The Liberty entered Friday night's festivities looking to win at least one of the two events for the third time in four years. They did that, and more, sweeping both competitions to kick off the weekend festivities.
Throughout the regular season, Cloud and Ionescu had instant chemistry and have spoken repeatedly about how much they enjoy playing alongside each other. Their friendship was evident after both competitions as the two players celebrated together after each won their respective event. Ionescu — ever the competitor — said she was still 'disappointed' for leaving points on the table, but she still recorded the second-most points in event history. — Ben Pickman
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