Subscriber Benefit
As a subscriber you can listen to articles at work, in the car, or while you work out. Subscribe Now
Thousands of basketball fans flocked to Gainbridge Fieldhouse on Friday night for the first portion of Indianapolis’ first-ever WNBA All-Star Weekend.
Nine players from seven teams took part in the skills competitions, including former Indiana Miss Basketball Skylar Diggins, former Indiana Fever Erica Wheeler and the Fever’s Lexie Hull, who replaced teammate Caitlin Clark in the Starry 3-Point Contest after the second-year guard withdrew due to injury.
The night began with the Kia Skills Challenge featuring Natasha Cloud of the New York Liberty; Diggins and Wheeler of the Seattle Storm; Allisha Gray of the Atlanta Dream; and Courtney Williams of the Minnesota Lynx. Cloud won the contest, edging out Wheeler in the final round.
Diggins, who plays for the Seattle Storm, had the slowest time among five contestants in a challenge that involved passing and shooting. Diggins played at Washington High School in South Bend and then for the University of Notre Dame.
- Lexie Hull participates in the 3-Point Contest during 2025 WNBA All-Star Weekend. (IBJ photo/Mickey Shuey)
Caitlin Clark cheers on her teammate Lexie Hull during the 3-Point Contest on Friday at Gainbridge Fieldhouse. Clark was set to compete until she suffered a groin injury earlier in the week. (IBJ photo/Mickey Shuey)
Lexie Hull waves during introductions at the 3-Point Contest at Gainbridge Fieldhouse (IBJ photo/Mickey Shuey)
The New York Liberty’s Natasha Cloud won the WNBA Skills Competition at Gainbridge Fieldhouse. (IBJ photo/Mickey Shuey)
Former Fever player Erica Wheeler reached the finals of the WNBA Skills Challenge. (IBJ photo/Mickey Shuey)
Former Indiana Miss Basketball Skylar Diggins participated in the Skills Competition at Gainbridge Fieldhouse on Friday but did not advance to the final round (IBJ photo/Mickey Shuey)
In the 3-Point Contest, Gray and three others joined Hull: Sonia Citron of the Washington Mystics, Sabrina Ionescu of the Liberty and Kelsey Plum of the Los Angeles Sparks. Ionescu claimed the title with a score of 30, the second highest score in the contest’s history.
Although the event was technically a sell-out, there were pockets of empty seats throughout the venue. Even so, the crowd offered warm welcomes for the players—both Hull and Wheeler in particular. Wheeler spent seven non-consecutive seasons with the Fever before departing in free agency after last year.
Friday’s events serve as a prelude to Saturday night’s nationally televised All-Star Game, featuring 22 of the league’s top players. Clark, named a team captain alongside the Lynx’s Napheesa Collier, is expected to be on the bench helping coach her squad.
Please enable JavaScript to view this content.
Editor's note: You can comment on IBJ stories by signing in to your IBJ account. If you have not registered, please sign up for a free account now. Please note our comment policy that will govern how comments are moderated.