Liberty Sweep All-Star Friday, Collier Wins MVP 🧹🏆

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What to Know About Women’s Basketball Today

1. Sabrina, Natasha, and Phee Show Out at All-Star Weekend 🌟

All-Star Weekend delivered, with big names putting on a show and the New York Liberty sweeping Friday’s contests. Sabrina Ionescu won her second 3-Point Contest title, Natasha Cloud took home the Skills Challenge crown, and Napheesa Collier led Team Collier to a 151–131 win over Team Clark in a lighthearted, no-defense showdown on Saturday night. (WNBA)

👉 See good-time photos from the All-Star game

WHY IT MATTERS: This weekend was all about skill, star power, and a whole lot of fun—and the Liberty stole the spotlight. Sabrina Ionescu became just the second player in WNBA history to win multiple 3-Point Contests, outshooting Allisha Gray 30–22 and pocketing $62,575 in prize money. Natasha Cloud claimed her first-ever Skills Challenge win and a $57,575 check, edging out Seattle’s Erica Wheeler.

On Saturday, Napheesa Collier dropped 36 points to earn All-Star MVP honors—a statement showing that could be a preview of the season’s biggest award.

2. Australia Takes Gold at the FIBA Women’s Asia Cup 🥇

For the first time in tournament history, Australia has won the FIBA Women’s Asia Cup, beating 2023 runner-up Japan 88–79 in the championship game. (FIBA)

🎥 Watch highlights from Australia’s championship win

WHY IT MATTERS: After earning bronze at every Asia Cup since 2019, the Opals finally broke through—and looked dominant doing it. Featuring WNBA talent like Chloe Bibby and Carla George, Australia’s roster showed just how deep and dangerous their player pipeline is.

The win secures them a spot in the upcoming World Cup qualifying tournaments and positions them as serious contenders for the 2028 Olympics.

3. WNBA Attendance Is Highest Since 1998 🎟️

WNBA fans are partying like it’s 1999. Through the first 140 games, the league is averaging 11,085 fans per game—the highest mark since 1998. (Front Office Sports)

WHY IT MATTERS: This is one of the clearest signs yet that interest in the league is booming. Some of the growth comes from the expansion Golden State Valkyries, who’ve sold out all 11 of their home games at Chase Center (capacity: 18,000+). Other teams are drawing strong crowds too—even those playing in smaller venues.

For context: back in 1998, with buzz high around the creation of a professional women’s league, average attendance hit 10,869. But as ownership investment declined in the early 2000s, it hurt the league’s visibility and momentum.

Now, even with teams like Dallas, Washington, Atlanta, and Connecticut playing in arenas with capacities under 10,000, the W is on pace to break its full-season attendance record.