Caitlin Clark is officially out of the WNBA 3-Point Contest because of a groin injury, but All-Star Friday night is still a must-watch. There is still a loaded field, plus the Skills Challenge and Allisha Gray of the Atlanta Dream looking to defend her title in both events. (In 2024, she became the first player ever to win both events in the same season).
Competing in the Skills Challenge will be Gray, Natasha Cloud of the New York Liberty, Courtney Williams of the Minnesota Lynx and teammates Erica Wheeler and Skylar Diggins of the Seattle Storm. In the 3-Point Contest, we have Gray, Kelsey Plum of the Los Angeles Sparks, Sabrina Ionescu of the Liberty, and Lexie Hull of the Indiana Fever, replacing Clark.
These events are an opportunity for each player to raise their profile, make some memories, earn bragging rights and earn a hefty bonus check.
How much do the winners make in prize money?
The winner of the WNBA Skills Challenge earns $55,000 which, notably, is the same amount of prize money for the men in the NBA Skills Challenge. The winner of the 3-Point Contest takes home $60,000.
Those amounts come from sponsors — Starry and Kia. In addition, the WNBA provides $2,750 to the winner of each event. Only the winners receive prize money, there is no cash for the players who finish second in each event.
These may not seem like enormous prize amounts, but they're significant considering the average salary in the WNBA is just $147,745 this season. Winning either would by a 33 percent pay bump for the average NBA player. Last season, Allisha Gray's salary was $185,000, and she nearly doubled it with $115,000 in prize money by winning both events.
Gray could repeat that this year and the other player ready to double a bonus is Hull, who received a bonus of about $30,000 earlier this year when the Fever won the Commissioner's Cup.