CHICAGO — Jonquel Jones delivered a historic performance at the United Center on Saturday night, tallying 22 points, 13 rebounds and eight assists to lead Team Spoon past Team Coop 129-122 in the WNBA All-Star Game and earn MVP honors in the league's 30th-anniversary season.
The New York Liberty center became the first player in WNBA history to win league MVP, WNBA Finals MVP, Commissioner's Cup MVP and All-Star Game MVP across her career. Playing with a heavy heart after the recent death of her aunt, Jones anchored a Team Spoon squad that featured eight players scoring in double figures.
"No matter what mood I'm in, basketball can pick me back up," Jones said. "Tonight I leaned into that."
Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark ignited the crowd early, drilling deep 3-pointers from 33 and 37 feet en route to 17 points and five assists. Allisha Gray added 19 points for the winning side, while Nneka Ogwumike contributed 11 points to surpass Maya Moore (119) for the most career points in All-Star Game history.
Team Coop guard Kelsey Mitchell led all scorers with 28 points. Marina Mabrey poured in 23 points during a scorching first half, continuing the hot streak that saw her drop 53 points for Toronto on June 25. The 20-year-old Dominique Malonga added 12 points and 13 rebounds and delivered the highlight of the night — a right-handed dunk in the first half off a pass from Angel Reese, the first dunk in a WNBA All-Star Game since Sylvia Fowles in 2022.
The game drew a record crowd of 19,783 at the United Center, surpassing the previous All-Star attendance mark. Chicago hosted the midseason showcase for the first time since 2022, this time in the larger arena rather than Wintrust Arena.
Three players — Jones, Ogwumike and Malonga — etched their names in the All-Star record books on a night that showcased the league's extraordinary growth.
Sources
- https://apnews.com/article/wnba-all-star-game-14cdf7e12b26859ba6bb43f1b640e3fe
