WNBA All-Star watch guide: What to know about 3-point contest, new Shooting Stars event

WNBA All-Star Weekend is upon us, and the forecast calls for raining 3s.

Friday night begins with the new Shooting Stars event, which zips through the past, present and future of women’s basketball. Its call sheet includes Hall of Famers Elena Delle Donne and Lauren Jackson. Up next is the always entertaining 3-point contest, which includes an All-Star introduction for rookie Azzi Fudd and another showcase for bucket-getter Marina Mabrey.

Prepare accordingly with this Friday night TV primer.

How to watch 2026 WNBA All-Star Friday

Venue: Wintrust Arena — Chicago

Date: Friday, July 24

Time: 8 p.m. ET

TV: ESPN

Streaming: Fubo (Stream Free Now)

ESPN is also available with Disney+ and ESPN Unlimited subscriptions.

The Shooting Stars breakdown

Details

The Shooting Stars competition starts off the proceedings. Regional teams are made up of WNBA legends, active players and high school prospects. Teams get 70 seconds to shoot from seven different spots on the floor. The two best squads advance to a second and final round to settle things head-to-head.

This event replaces the skills challenge, which was won by Natasha Cloud last year.

Ryan Ruocco handles the play-by-play call, with Hall of Fame inductee Rebecca Lobo on analysis and reporter Holly Rowe on courtside updates.

Participants

Each of these W duos is paired with a high school player from Nike EYBL:

Minnesota — Rebekkah Brunson and Courtney Williams

Seattle — Lauren Jackson and Flau’jae Johnson

Washington — Elena Delle Donne and Shakira Austin

Dallas/Detroit — Deanna “Tweety” Nolan and Jessica Shepard

Brunson’s five championship rings are the most in league history. She played nine seasons with the Minnesota Lynx, and is now amid her seventh season as an assistant coach. Williams is a three-time All-Star and one half of the inescapable “StudBudz.”

Jackson spent her entire WNBA career in Seattle Storm green. The Hall of Famer won three MVP awards, three scoring titles and two rings from 2001-12. Johnson, a rookie from LSU and a rapper off the court, is averaging 13.7 points on 39.7 percent shooting.

Delle Donne is a member of the 2026 Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame class. In 2019, she claimed the second of her two MVP honors and led the Washington Mystics’ championship breakthrough. Austin is averaging career highs in points (15), rebounds (9.5), assists (2.6) and blocks (1.4).

Nolan fronted the now-defunct Detroit Shock between 2001-09. She was a defensive stopper for all three Shock titles. The franchise relocated from Detroit to Tulsa before the 2010 season, then became the Dallas Wings six years later. Shepard, a first-time All-Star, has been an overwhelming success in her Dallas debut.

The 3-point contest breakdown

The 3-point contest gets going once Shooting Stars is over. In a timed competition, shooters move along the perimeter with five racks of five balls each. Four of those racks have four standard WNBA balls (worth one point per make), plus an oatmeal-colored money ball (worth two points). Players also get to place a fifth rack of all money balls in the shooting spot of their choice.

There are two extra-deep “From the Logo” locations, both with a special black ball that counts for three points. Title sponsor State Farm is donating to Girls Who Code Inc. for every made logo shot.

The two top scorers from the first round move on to a final round. Sabrina Ionescu beat Allisha Gray in last year’s excellent finale.

Ruocco, Lobo and Rowe are on the call for this event as well. ESPN is putting microphones on the 3-point participants for extra intrigue.

Here are the six contestants set for Friday night:

Bridget Carleton, Portland Fire

Azzi Fudd, Dallas Wings

Natisha Hiedeman, Seattle Storm

Rhyne Howard, Atlanta Dream

Marina Mabrey, Toronto Tempo

Janelle Salaün, Golden State Valkyries

Heading into the All-Star break, Mabrey leads the league with 3.3 made 3s per game. She’s followed closely by Howard at 3.2. Those two are slated for the All-Star Game on Saturday, too. Mabrey has the best single-game scoring mark this season — a 53-point heat check that tied the league’s all-time record. Howard is making her fourth All-Star bid in five pro seasons, and she also leads the WNBA in steals per game at 2.4.

Carleton, Fudd, Hiedeman and Salaün are all averaging at least two made treys. Fudd is the group’s lone rookie. Salaün is the most efficient 3-point shooter in the field at 39.4 percent.

Of course, only one of these six are “StudBudz” certified. Expect joint shenanigans from Hiedeman and Williams once their obligations are through on Friday night.

The favorites

Courtesy of The Athletic‘s Katie Richcreek, deputing managing editor of sports betting:

Two favorites have emerged from a crowded 3-point contest field: Fudd and Mabrey. Kalshi gives the Wings rookie a 33 percent chance to win compared to a 23 percent chance for the Tempo veteran.

The two are shooting right around 39 percent from 3 on the season, though Mabrey is taking (8.4 vs. 5.3 attempts per game) and making (3.3 vs. 2.0 per game) more shots from deep than Fudd, who is splitting the perimeter work in Dallas with Bueckers and Arike Ogunbowale.

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This article originally appeared in The Athletic.

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