With a promise to deliver a thrilling display of talent and precision, the 2024 WNBA All-Star Weekend is right around the corner. Fans are waiting to be a part of this electrifying night as the league bids farewell to the departing stars for the Paris Olympics. While most eyes are fixed on the All-Star Game on Saturday, there are festivities marked for Friday as well, including the Skills Challenge and the 3-point contest.

After New York Liberty star Sabrina Ionescu won the 3-point contest last year, fans are eagerly awaiting the event this time around. The likes of Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese have helped bring more eyeballs to the league. But will they be part of the festivities on Friday at the Footprint Center in Phoenix?

When and where it will take place?

The STARRY WNBA 3-point contest is one of the events marked for the All-Star Friday night. The KIA WNBA Skills Challenge will also take place on the same day, starting at 6 p.m. PT/ 9 p.m. ET on July 19th at the Footprint Center in Phoenix, Arizona. While ABC will telecast the All-Star Game on Saturday, ESPN will present the Friday night festivities.

Yesterday, the WNBA announced five participants who will be competing in the 2024 WNBA 3-point contest. These participants include Washington Mystics’ Stephanie Dolson (who is shooting 48.5% from deep this season), Atlanta Dream’s Allisha Gray (36%), New York Liberty’s Jonquel Jones (39.6%), Connecticut Sun’s Marina Mabrey (34.8%), and Minnesota Lynx’s Kayla McBride (42.7%). However, much to fans’ surprise, Caitlin Clark and Sabrina Ionescu will not be participating in the contest this time.

Last year, Ionescu won the contest on the back of a historic performance. The 26-year-old set the record for most points in a round with 37 in the final last year. She was able to overcome the likes of Sami Whitcomb, Arike Ogunbowale, DiJonai Carrington, Jackie Young, and Kelsey Mitchell to take home the award. Among them, Ogunbowale and Mitchell are in the top 6 for threes made this season.

What is a 3-point shooting contest?

The 3-point shooting contest consists of participants attempting to make as many threes as possible from five different positions (one corner to the other corner) within one minute. It is usually held on the night before the All-Star Game.

Initially, a rack was placed at each shooting station that contained 5 basketballs out of which four balls (which are standard orange color) were worth one point apiece, and the 5th ball (which is a red/white/or blue ABA-style ball) also known as the ‘money ball’, was worth 2 points. The perfect score at this time used to be 30 points. However, since 2014, a rack consisting of only money balls has been added to the contest to switch things up a notch and bring the maximum possible score to 34 points.

In 2020, two additional Mountain Dew balls were placed on each side of the arc, a little further away from the 3-point line, worth 3 points apiece. This, in turn, increased the maximum score to 40 points and the time limit to 70 seconds. So, let’s get ready for this star-studded event, set to entice all fans.

Stay tuned for more such updates, and to follow what Shaq’s ex-agent, Leonard Armato, has to say about the infamous Shaq-Kobe feud, Caitlin Clark’s Olympic snub, and more, watch this video: