Jonquel Jones had 22 points, 13 rebounds and eight assists and Olivia Miles added 11 points, 12 rebounds and eight assists to boost Team Spoon to a 129-122 victory against Team Coop on Saturday in the WNBA All-Star Game in Chicago.
Jones, a star with the New York Liberty, garnered MVP honors, helping outpace a 28-point effort from Kelsey Mitchell of Team Coop.
Allisha Gray (19 points), Caitlin Clark (17), A’ja Wilson (12), Courtney Williams (12), Nneka Ogwumike (11) and Kiki Iriafen (10) also scored in double figures for Team Spoon.
Marina Mabrey added 23 points for Team Coop. Gabby Williams chipped in 18 points, while Paige Bueckers and Dominique Malonga had 12 each. Malonga added 13 rebounds for a double-double while Breanna Stewart (six points) also had 13 boards.
A league All Star Game-record 19,783 fans attended the game at the United Center, home of the NBA’s Chicago Bulls.
That more than doubled the attendance when Chicago hosted the annual midseason showcase in 2022. A crowd of 9,572 looked on at Wintrust Arena, where the Chicago Sky play their home games.
With the WNBA saluting its 30th anniversary season, Hall of Famers Cynthia Cooper and Teresa Weatherspoon drafted the teams and served as general managers. They also were part of a rotating contingent that was “mic’d up” during an interactive broadcast on ABC.
Minnesota Lynx bench boss Cheryl Reeve coached Team Spoon while Becky Hammon, coach of the reigning league champion Las Vegas Aces, guided Team Coop.
Team Spoon rolled to an 81-64 advantage at the half behind 55.7% shooting compared to 42.6% for Team Coop. The teams combined for 24 makes from 3-point range in the first 20 minutes, with Mabrey (five) edging Clark (four) for the most treys before the break.
Mabrey, who entered the All-Star break as the league leader in made 3s with 82, led all scorers with 23 first-half points. Still, Malonga provided arguably the most memorable first-half basket with a dunk off a pass from Angel Reese with 6:24 to play in the second quarter.
It marked the first dunk in an All-Star Game since Sylvia Fowles in 2022.
Skylar Diggins remains the only player to record an All-Star triple-double, accomplishing the feat last season.
–Field Level Media
