Azzi Fudd, Elena Delle Donne and the biggest winners from WNBA All-Star Weekend

This past weekend, the WNBA took over Chicago. From the StudBudz causing chaos on their 72-hour livestream to the league setting a new All-Star record with 19,783 fans in attendance, it was another successful and unforgettable weekend.

While Team Spoon, coached by Cheryl Reeve, was able to pull out the dub, there were many more players to celebrate. We can't let the 2026 WNBA All-Star weekend officially end without giving flowers to the players we'd consider the 'winners.'

Jonquel Jones

MVP! Of course, the list has to kick off with this year's Most Valuable Player. This was Jonquel Jones' sixth All-Star selection and she made the absolute most of it. She finished the night with 22 points, 13 rebounds and 8 eight assists, winning MVP. She's now officially the only player in WNBA history to win league MVP, Commissioner's Cup MVP and All-Star MVP in their career.

Jones got candid and emotional after winning the award. She told ESPN's Holly Rowe, "My aunt passed away not too long ago and today is actually her memorial. I got permission from my family to be here and to celebrate this moment. So, this one is for my auntie."

Azzi Fudd

We all knew Azzi Fudd's 3-point shooting ability was one of the best — this weekend, she just proved it further. This year's WNBA 3-Point Contest was full of some of the league's most impressive. From 5-year veteran Rhyne Howard to 8-year veteran Marina Mabrey. But leave it to the rook to blow them all out of the water...

Fudd drained a whopping 30 out of 40 points in the final round of this year's contest, claiming the ultimate crown. After her win, she credited her success to past injuries. She stated, "Coming back from injuries, it was a lot of chair-shooting and stationary shots. You get really good at shooting off a rack." It's also true that there might be no faster shooter in the league than Fudd — while watching the contest, it's quite remarkable how fast she can get them going.

Not only did she become the first-ever rookie to win the 3-point Contest, but she joins Sabrina Ionescu and Allie Quigley as the only players in the WNBA to hit the 30-point threshold. That's elite company — the future is bright for the People's Princess.

Dominique Malonga

We knew there was bound to be a Dominique Malonga dunk during this year's All-Star Game. About halfway through the second quarter, Malonga's Team Coop teammate, Angel Reese, found her with an open lane straight to the bucket, where she threw it down. Not only did the entire building erupt, but her teammates were just as excited as she was met with a chest bump and high-five from Reese.

If the dunk itself wasn't enough to make Malonga a winner, the fact that she did it with legend Lisa Leslie in the crowd has to be. Leslie was the first player to ever dunk during a WNBA All-Star Game back in 2002. Malonga now joins Leslie, Jonquel Jones, Brittney Griner and Sylvia Fowles as the only W players to pull off a slam during an All-Star Game. Much like Azzi Fudd, she is proving that not only is her future bright, but the league is in incredible hands.

Marina Mabrey

This first-time All-Star has to be leaving the weekend feeling like a winner. Before the game even started, Paige Bueckers joined ESPN's WNBA Countdown. When asked about Team Coop's strategy, she mentioned that they were trying to get Marina Mabrey the MVP award. Of course, it could be expected that Team Coop would've had to win to fulfill that destiny — so, it didn't happen, but Mabrey put on an absolute show anyway.

Mabrey closed the night with 23 points, 3 rebounds and 2 assists. The MVP goal was within sight when, in the first quarter alone, she put up 17 points off five made 3-pointers — the nickname "Money Mabrey" was in full swing. While it's always apparent that she's in her element as she's draining all those long shots, perhaps what really made her a winner this weekend was the simple fact that her peers across the league wanted to help her win that MVP crown.

Elena Delle Donne

It's like she never left, and I have a feeling a few WNBA GM's sent EDD a quick, "Hey, wanna come back?" text this morning. This year, the league introduced the 'Shooting Stars' contest. Basically, each team consisted of three players — one from the league's past, a current player and a high school WNBA hopeful — who took turns shooting from various spots on the court, aiming to score the most points across all four teams. It seems this structure was a bit hit-or-miss with the fans. Some missed the Skills Challenge, but personally, I was a fan of 'Shooting Stars.' It's a great way to honor legends and include some future talent.

Team Washington — made up of 2-time WNBA MVP Elena Delle Donne, current Mystics center Shakira Austin and EYBL's Jezelle "GG" Banks — took home the dub by quite large margins. The final spot of the contest is a half-court heave. The three participants can shoot as much as they want from this spot until the time runs out — this is where Team Washington racked up most of their points. Delle Donne was reverting to her dominant roots with each touch of the ball, ultimately draining three in a row from near-half court.

Before the competition, Delle Donne was seen telling GG Banks that she "hadn't shot in three years." The rust seemed to wear off quickly. Maybe even enough for a return to the WNBA — we can dream, right? After the win, ESPN's Holly Rowe asked EDD, "Any chance of a comeback to the WNBA?" Delle Donne responded, "I gotta work on my stamina... but you know, we're champs so I'll take it." Rowe then hit her with a "That wasn't a no...," to which she responded, "It wasn't a no, but it was not a yes."

Nneka Ogwumike

Nneka Ogwumike is truly the definition of a winner, but this weekend specifically, she made even more history, making her the final player on the list. This was Ogwumike's 11th All-Star selection; she joins legends Diana Taurasi and Sue Bird as the only players to reach that number. This weekend, with only her second made bucket of the game, Ogwumike passed another legend, Maya Moore, to become the all-time leading scorer in WNBA All-Star Game history. She has scored 127 points over her 11 All-Star appearances.

This milestone comes only a week after Ogwumike passed Lisa Leslie as the All-Time leading scorer in Los Angeles Sparks history. To go along with all her off-court contributions to bettering the league, Madame President is having quite the historic 14th career year on the court as well; every time we open our eyes, she's broken a new record.

More WNBA news and analysis:

Add us as a preferred source on Google

Follow