That was a weekend to remember.
The WNBA celebrated its 30th season in Chicago this weekend, and the league did not waste the moment. A sold-out United Center. Legends on the floor alongside the stars of today. A 3-Point Contest that produced a historic performance from a rookie. A dunk. A record crowd. And an All-Star Game that was genuinely, entertainingly fun from tip to buzzer.
Friday Night: Shooting Stars and a Historic 3-Point Contest
Shooting Stars
The new Kia WNBA Shooting Stars competition, teams of a WNBA legend, a current player, and a Nike EYBL high school standout, kicked off Friday night at Wintrust Arena and delivered on its promise.
Team Washington won the event, led by legend Elena Delle Donne, Washington Mystics forward Shakira Austin, and EYBL standout Jezelle "GG" Banks. The format was exactly right for a 30th season weekend: three generations of women's basketball on the same floor, competing together, celebrating the same game.
3-Point Contest: Azzi Fudd Makes History
And then Azzi Fudd took the floor and put on a show nobody will forget.
The Dallas Wings rookie, the No. 1 overall pick in the 2026 WNBA Draft, became the first rookie in WNBA history to win the 3-Point Contest, and she made it look easy. Fudd opened with a 24-point first round to advance to the final against Portland Fire's Bridget Carleton, who led the first round with 29. Then, in the final, Fudd went supernova, connecting on her first six consecutive attempts and finishing with a score of 30 points to Carleton's 19.
The full first-round field:
| Player | Score |
|---|---|
| Bridget Carleton (Portland) | 29 |
| Azzi Fudd (Dallas) | 24 |
| Rhyne Howard (Atlanta) | 20 |
| Janelle Salaun (Golden State) | 19 |
| Marina Mabrey (Toronto) | 18 |
| Natisha Hiedeman (Seattle) | 17 |
Fudd is a rookie. She just won the 3-Point Contest in front of the whole league. The Wings knew what they were doing with that No. 1 pick.
Saturday Night: All-Star Game - Team Spoon 129, Team Coop 122
The Game
Team Weatherspoon 129, Team Cooper 122.
The game had everything you want from an All-Star Game: big performances, highlight plays, entertaining basketball, and enough energy to make a United Center crowd of 19,783, an all-time WNBA All-Star Game record, feel every minute of it.
MVP: Jonquel Jones Makes WNBA History
Jonquel Jones was the best player on the floor Saturday night, and the voters agreed. Jones finished with 22 points, 13 rebounds, and 8 assists, earning All-Star Game MVP honors and completing a historic sweep of major WNBA MVP honors: regular season, Commissioner's Cup, Finals, and now All-Star Game.
That is a remarkable achievement for one of the best players the league has ever seen.
Key Performances
Caitlin Clark looked healthy and sharp: 17 points, 5 assists, and 4 rebounds after being on a 16-minute cap just two weeks ago. Whatever back concerns remained heading into the weekend, she answered them Saturday night.
Olivia Miles was arguably the surprise of the game: 11 points, 12 rebounds, and 8 assists for the Lynx rookie. A double-double and nearly a triple-double in your first All-Star Game.
Kelsey Mitchell led all scorers with 28 points for Team Coop, putting on the kind of scoring performance that reminded everyone she belongs in any conversation about the league's elite guards.
Nneka Ogwumike made history of her own, passing Maya Moore to become the all-time leading scorer in WNBA All-Star Game history.
The Dunk
Yes, there was a dunk. And it was spectacular.
Angel Reese fed Dominique Malonga for a thunderous slam, the first dunk in WNBA All-Star Game history since Sylvia Fowles. The United Center lost its mind. Reese, back in Chicago after her time with the Sky, found a way to make the moment hers even as a reserve.
The 30th Season Celebration
Beyond the competition, this weekend was about honoring where the league came from.
The WNBA brought back the legends who built this thing, Lisa Leslie, Sheryl Swoopes, Rebecca Lobo, and more, and gave them their moment in front of a new generation of fans who may not have seen them play but know exactly what they meant. Cynthia Cooper and Teresa Weatherspoon coaching from the sidelines. Three decades of history celebrated in the city that has always been one of the league's most passionate markets.
The weekend also included a Chicago moment that fit the occasion: former President Barack Obama surprised players at practice at the Obama Presidential Center, adding another local touch to a weekend already built around history, legacy, and the league's next era.
It landed. The blend of past and present felt genuine, not ceremonial.
Final Thoughts
The WNBA needed a weekend like this. Not because there was anything wrong, the league is in great shape, but because moments like this remind everyone, fans and skeptics alike, what women's basketball looks like at its best.
Fudd winning the 3-Point Contest as a rookie. Jones completing her MVP collection. A dunk. A record crowd. Legends and current stars sharing the same floor.
Happy 30th season, WNBA. The next 30 look pretty bright.
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