WNBA All-Star Game 2023: Location, schedule, rosters, news

LAS VEGAS -- Brittney Griner dunked (twice). Jewell Loyd scored an All-Star Game record. And Team Stewart exacted revenge.

Loyd, the leading scorer this season in the WNBA, was named MVP of Saturday's 2023 WNBA All-Star Game, scoring 31 points to leadBreanna Stewart's team to a 143-127 victory over A'ja Wilson'ssquad.

Loyd scored all her points on 3-pointers, including one 4-pointer, shooting 10-for-21 from beyond the arc. The Seattle Storm guard's 31 points broke the previous mark of 30, set last year by the Las Vegas Aces' Kelsey Plum.

For the second consecutive year on Team Wilson, Plum scored 30 points. Wilson and Napheesa Collier, a reserve for Team Stewart, each added 20 points.

Griner, who missed the 2022 season during a 10-month detainment in Russia, was named an WNBA All-Star Game starter in June, just six months after she returned to the United States in a prisoner exchange. Griner dunked early in the first quarter and finished with 18 points and 13 rebounds.

After the game, Griner said the support from her peers as well as from WNBA fans during her detainment "meant everything to me."

"It gave me hope," she said. "I just love being here, I love competing, I love just doing everything for the fans. ... I'm just honored to be on this court."

As the leading vote-getters in All-Star balloting, the Aces' Wilson and the New York Liberty's Stewart were named captains for the second consecutive year. Team Wilson defeated Team Stewart 134-112 in Chicago last year.

Griner dunks, dominates in return

Brittney Griner was all smiles all weekend, and she reminded everyone of how dominant she can be even in an exhibition, finishing with 18 points, 13 rebounds and two blocked shots. Griner, who also dunked twice, said she cherished being back and getting to interact with her peers. "What you see on the court is fun," she said, "but in the locker room before the game, that's where all the little moments that you take away always happen."

• Voepel: Top takeaways from All-Star weekend

2024 All-Star

Earlier Saturday, commissioner Cathy Engelbert announced that Phoenix will host the 2024 WNBA All-Star Game.

Ionescu scores WNBA record 37 points to win 3-point contest

Las Vegas' Chelsea Gray and Kelsey Plum edged New York's Sabrina Ionescu and Courtney Vanderbilt in the 2023 skills challenge Friday at Michelob Ultra Arena. But Ionescu had the last laugh.

The Liberty guard broke WNBA and NBA records for most points in a 3-point shooting contest by hitting all but two of her treys in the final round of Friday's competition. Ionescu's 37 out of a possible 40 points surpassed the single-round record of 31 in the NBA (done by Stephen Curry in 2021 and Tyrese Haliburton in 2023) and 30 in the WNBA (Allie Quigley in 2022). Ionescu hit 20 consecutive shots at one point.

The Seattle Storm's Sami Whitcomb came in second with 22 points, followed by the Dallas Wings' Arike Ogunbowale with 11.

A look at Friday's participants:

Skills challenge teams

Team Aces:Chelsea Gray,Kelsey Plum

Team Dream:Allisha Gray,Cheyenne Parker

Team Liberty:Sabrina Ionescu,Courtney Vandersloot

Team Wings:Arike Ogunbowale,Satou Sabally

3-point shooting contest participants

* With 2023 3-point stats

DiJonai Carrington, Connecticut Sun (14-for-36, 38.9%)

Sabrina Ionescu, New York Liberty (54-for-121, 44.6%)

Kelsey Mitchell, Indiana Fever (48-for-129, 37.2%)

Arike Ogunbowale, Dallas Wings (51-for-171, 29.8%)

Sami Whitcomb, Seattle Storm (37-for-101, 36.6%)

Jackie Young, Las Vegas Aces (50-for-103, 48.5%)

WNBA All-Star draft results

TEAM WILSON

Starters

A'ja Wilson, Las Vegas Aces (captain)

Chelsea Gray, Las Vegas Aces

Jackie Young, Las Vegas Aces

Aliyah Boston, Indiana Fever

Arike Ogunbowale, Dallas Wings

Reserves

Kelsey Plum, Las Vegas Aces

Allisha Gray, Atlanta Dream

Alyssa Thomas, Connecticut Sun

Cheyenne Parker, Atlanta Dream

DeWanna Bonner, Connecticut Sun

Elena Delle Donne, Washington Mystics

Injured; replaced by Rhyne Howard, Atlanta Dream

TEAM STEWART

Starters

Breanna Stewart, New York Liberty (captain)

Brittney Griner, Phoenix Mercury

Jewell Loyd, Seattle Storm

Satou Sabally, Dallas Wings

Nneka Ogwumike, Los Angeles Sparks

Reserves

Courtney Vandersloot, New York Liberty

Sabrina Ionescu, New York Liberty

Ezi Magbegor, Seattle Storm

Napheesa Collier, Minnesota Lynx

Kelsey Mitchell, Indiana Fever

Kahleah Copper, Chicago Sky

• Philippou and Voepel: Team Wilson and Team Stewart mock draft

WNBA All-Star starters and reserves

Fans (50%), current players (25%) and media (25%) voted for the starters, while WNBA head coaches picked the reserves.

Starters

• Aliyah Boston*, F/C, Indiana Fever



• Chelsea Gray, G, Las Vegas Aces


• Brittney Griner, C, Phoenix Mercury


• Jewell Loyd, G, Seattle Storm


• Arike Ogunbowale, G, Dallas Wings


• Nneka Ogwumike, F, Los Angeles Sparks


• Satou Sabally, F, Dallas Wings


• Breanna Stewart, F, New York Liberty (captain)


• A'ja Wilson, C, Las Vegas Aces (captain)


• Jackie Young, G, Las Vegas Aces

Reserves

• DeWanna Bonner, F/G, Connecticut Sun


• Napheesa Collier, F, Minnesota Lynx


• Kahleah Copper, G/F, Chicago Sky


• Elena Delle Donne, F/G, Washington Mystics


• * Out due to injury


• Allisha Gray*, G, Dallas Wings


• Sabrina Ionescu, G, New York Liberty


• Ezi Magbegor*, C, Seattle Storm


• Kelsey Mitchell*, G, Indiana Fever


• Cheyenne Parker*, F, Atlanta Dream


• Kelsey Plum, G, Las Vegas Aces


• Alyssa Thomas, F, Connecticut Sun

* First-time All-Stars

The Aces' Becky Hammon will coach Team Wilson, and the Sun's Stephanie White will coach Team Stewart.

Last year, Team Wilson defeated Team Stewart 134-112 in Chicago.

Experts weigh in on starters and reserves

Should Connecticut's Alyssa Thomas and Minnesota's Napheesa Collier been voted All-Star starters? Which players got snubbed for the All-Star Game? Who might win MVP? More from Voepel and Philippou