The WNBA offered the best shooters from its past, present, and possible future in the Friday prelude to its 2026 All-Star Game in Chicago.
Fans got to see young talent make a name for themselves in both the Shooting Stars Challenge and 3-Point Contest, which were staged at Wintrust Arena just about 24 hours before Saturday's main event at United Center. The Shooting Stars challenge offered a unique set of plays from rising high school stars, to present stars, and past legends. With each group representing a WNBA team, the Shooting Stars challenge did not disappoint.
The youthful trend continued in a 3-Point Contest packed with fresh faces, one where one of the league's top rookies prevailed when all was said and done.
Washington Wins Shooting Stars Showcase
The night opened with the Shooting Stars competition, which served as a revamped version of the traditional Skills Challenge.
A new city-based format offered fans a showing of one active WNBA player, one WNBA legend, and one Nike EYBL high school prospect hailing from the respective locales. The Dallas' Wings contingent mixed with the Motor City as a reference to the team's previous identity as the Detroit Shock.
Four teams would compete in the two-round event, with the two teams who scored the most in the opener advancing to the second round. The goal was to score as many points as possible from seven different locations in 70 seconds. With this event, audiences got to see legends in action and gave rising high school players a platform and chance to showcase their skills.
The teams were separated in the following fashions:
Team Dallas/Detroit: Jessica Shepard, Deanna Nolan, Morghan Reckley
Team Minnesota: Courtney Williams, Rebekkah Brunson, Ryan Carter
Team Seattle: Flau'jae Johnson, Lauren Jackson, Tatianna Griffin
Team Washington: Shakira Austin, Elena Delle Donne, Jezelle "GG" Banks
Putting on for the DMV 🗣️
— espnW (@espnW) July 25, 2026
Elena Delle Donne, Shakira Austin and EYBL star Jezelle "GG" Banks was making it rain from the logo 🤯 pic.twitter.com/jWkuGYyyir
Friday's opening event winner ended up being Team Washington, which set the tone by putting up 35 points in the first round. Team Washington exploded in the first round with their half-court logo shots, which were worth four points. The consistency from deep proved too much for the competition as Delle Donne, Austin, and Banks captured the inaugural Shooting Stars title and gave Washington fans another reason to celebrate during All-Star weekend. Austin's teammates Sonia Citron and Kiki Iriafen will play in the main event on Saturday.
Washington's team took home the trophies with an electric 31 points to 24 from Team Seattle. The young high school recruit Banks would wind up clinching the victory for the group with a clutch half-court logo shot, then banked another to add onto the victory.
Freshman Fudd Flexes in First Three-Point Contest
Azzi Fudd made history tonight!👏
— Ballislife.com (@Ballislife) July 25, 2026
No. 35 became the first rookie champion and the first former UConn player to win the competition.
LIVE from Chicago, here's how it all went down. Is this just the beginning for Fudd?
🔗https://t.co/4rHSbLA6Gm pic.twitter.com/P4EmovEEy0
This year's three-point contest went in the history books, as a rookie won for the first time in league history. Dallas rookie and new top pick Azzi Fudd led the way in a field packed with newcomers, besting Portland's Bridget Carleton in the final round to secure the win. Eliminated after round one were Rhyne Howard (20 points), Janelle Salaun (19), Marina Mabrey (18), and Natisha Hiedeman (17).
After an impressive first round that saw Carleton lead all participants with 29 points, Fudd finished second with 24 to advance to the championship stage. Fudd would save her best performance for last, catching fire from beyond the arc and putting together a dominant 30-point performance, easily besting Carleton's 19.
The Wings' prized rookie became the first rookie ever to win the WNBA 3-Point Contest while also becoming the first former UConn player to claim the title. Fudd's final round perfectly displayed why she went first in the 2026 WNBA Draft, displaying the smooth shooting stroke that has made her one of the league's brightest young stars.
Final Thoughts
With both of Friday night's events highlighting former legends and the next generation of stars, the WNBA's future was on full display in Chicago. From high school prospects sharing the floor with Hall of Fame talent to a rookie making league history from three-point range, All-Star Weekend proved once again that the game continues to grow with every generation.
The Chicago festivities wrap when the 21st official All-Star Game tips off on Saturday night (8:30 p.m. ET, ABC).
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