“I’m just here to have fun.” This was the mindset of Atlanta’s prolific No.15 Allisha Gray before heading into the AT&T WNBA All-Star. However, she took things really seriously the moment she stepped inside the Footprint Center in downtown Phoenix on Saturday evening. As it turns out, the 29-year-old is the first-ever woman athlete to win both the Kia WNBA Skills Challenge and the WNBA STARRY 3-Point Contest. As a result, a prize amount of $115,150 is headed her way which amounts to around 62% of what she earns per annum.

Not only did her scintillating display and the aftermath manage to captivate her fans, but some eminent woman basketball personalities also decided to express their delight. Among the most enthusiastic ones are the 2023 WNBA Finals MVP and her former South Carolina teammate A’ja Wilson. She immediately took to X and emphatically extended her commendations. She tweeted, “LETS F**KING GO LISH!!! GET THAT BAG!!!” 

Another massive Gamecocks entity decided to be a part of this celebration. The 4× WBCA National Coach of the Year Dawn Staley also couldn’t hide her pride over Gray’s achievement. She wrote, “Lish with the sweep! @WNBA champ of the skills challenge and the 3pt challenge. When “it’s a possibility” becomes a reality! I see you @Graytness_15!!  @aflac one check please!

As it turns out, all these reactions are justified given the performance pulled off by Allisha Gray to make it a memorable occasion.

Allisha Gray came out all guns blazing

The Dream All-Star Allisha Gray announced her arrival at the event in style by clocking 31.2 seconds in the opening round. This put Brittney Griner, Marina Mabrey and Kelsey Mitchell out of contention to win the $55,000 prize money. In addition to this, it also paved the way for her to set a Finals clash with home favorite Sophie Cunningham. Following this, she bested the 34.5 benchmark by finishing the obstacle course in just 32.1 seconds.

45 minutes later, she was up and ready for another challenge. She and the Liberty’s authoritative 6-6 athlete Jonquel Jones were the last two remaining in the WNBA Starry 3-Point Contest. Allisha Gray set a target of 22 points for Jones to become the first post-player to win the 3-point contest. But, she missed her final money ball shot while being on 21 points to make Gray the first player to win both the Skills Challenge and 3-Point Contest on one night.

Allisha Gray has proved yet again that she is still one of the best in the business. Taking down such high-profile names is a testament to how immensely skillful she really is. Fans would hope that she keeps this up when the WNBA resumes after the Olympics break.