The 2025 WNBA All-Star Skills Challenge tips off Friday night at 8 p.m. ET from Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, Indiana – home of Caitlin Clark and the Fever, with Indiana’s star set to miss All-Star Weekend festivities due to a groin injury. An annual and highly anticipated part of WNBA All-Star Weekend, the event features a star-studded players in a team-based obstacle course that tests players’ passing, dribbling, and shooting skills. Fans can also look forward to the evening’s 3-point contest.
Let’s dive into the biggest storylines ahead of Friday’s action.
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Allisha Gray Returns as Reigning Champion
Allisha Gray enters as the Skills Challenge defending champion after winning last year’s event with a time of 32.1 seconds. She went on to make history by capturing the 3-Point Contest title on the same night. The Atlanta Dream star currently averages 18.4 points, 5.6 rebounds, and 4.0 assists per game – all career highs. She was voted a 2025 All-Star starter, the first of her career, after leading all guards in player and media rankings.
Gray’s season has been one filled with milestones, from notching her first 30-point game and connecting on her 300th career three-pointer, to currently leading the league in three-point percentage. She’s earned multiple Eastern Conference Player of the Week honors and was named Player of the Month for both May and June. Following her sweep of both the Skills Challenge and 3-Point Contest in 2024, Gray enters this year’s competition with an opportunity to repeat in both events.
Skylar Diggins prepares for first WNBA Skills Challenge
Skylar Diggins is leading the Seattle Storm as they continue to adjust to life without WNBA and franchise legend Sue Bird, who retired following the 2022 season. The Storm currently sit third in the Western Conference, boasting the W’s fourth-best overall record (14-9), while Diggins, currently in her 11th WNBA season, paces Seattle as its leading scorer (17.5 PPG), shooting 43% from the field with 5.8 assists and 1.1 steals per game. Despite it being her first Skills Challenge appearance, the 34-year-old is the longest-tenured WNBA player competing.
The veteran missed the 2023 season due to maternity leave after participating in the 2022 All-Star Game while pregnant. Now back and healthy, the seven-time All-Star and six-time All-WNBA player has the opportunity to compete in her home state of Indiana, where she already has plenty of history on the court. A standout at Notre Dame, Diggins led the Fighting Irish to three consecutive Final Fours and two NCAA championship appearances, etching herself in South Bend history. Capturing a Skills Challenge victory would mark yet another milestone in her storied career.
How to watch the 2025 WNBA Skills Challenge
- Date: Friday, July 18
- Where: Gainbridge Fieldhouse - Indianapolis, Indiana
- Time: 8:00 PM ET
- TV: ESPN
2025 WNBA Skills Challenge participants
- Allisha Gray, Atlanta Dream
- Courtney Williams, Minnesota Lynx
- Natasha Cloud, New York Liberty
- Skylar Diggins, Seattle Storm
- Erica Wheeler, Seattle Storm
Announcing the participants for the 2025 @Kia WNBA Skills Challenge 🤩
— WNBA (@WNBA) July 15, 2025
⭐ Natasha Cloud, @nyliberty
⭐ Skylar Diggins, @seattlestorm
⭐ Allisha Gray, @atlantadream
⭐ Erica Wheeler, @seattlestorm
⭐ Courtney Williams, @minnesotalynx pic.twitter.com/HgRB7q9EWk
2025 WNBA STARRY 3-Point Contest participants
- Allisha Gray, Atlanta Dream
- Sonia Citron, Washington Mystics
- Sabrina Ionescu, New York Liberty
- Kelsey Plum, Los Angeles Sparks
Caitlin Clark was set to participate in the 3-point contest, but withdrew from All-Star Weekend activities due to a groin injury. The WNBA has yet to announce who will replace her spot in the event.
a message from Caitlin Clark ❤️ pic.twitter.com/zRGZEpqF5R
— Indiana Fever (@IndianaFever) July 17, 2025
2025 WNBA Skills Challenge rules
The KIA WNBA Skills Challenge is back in its classic format with an added twist. This year, the obstacle course includes a 2025 Kia Sorento Hybrid. Five players will face off in a timed first-round testing the basics, including passing, dribbling, and shooting.
Each contestant must complete three types of passes (bounce pass, chest pass, outlet pass) along with specific shots, ranging from an elbow jumper, a three from beyond the arc, and a corner three. The two quickest finishers will advance to the final round, where they’ll run the course again. The fastest overall player will take home the win.
2025 WNBA Skills Challenge prize money
With a renewed Aflac partnership, the WNBA Skills Challenge will reward $55,000 to the event’s winner, matching the NBA Skills Challenge amount, while the 3-point contest offers its top finisher a $60,000 prize. Winners of both competitions will also receive $2,575 from the WNBA due to the league’s collective bargaining agreement.
WNBA Skills Challenge past winners
- 2024: Allisha Gray, Atlanta Dream
- 2023: Chelsea Gray/Kelsey Plum, Las Vegas Aces
- 2022: Sabrina Ionescu, New York Liberty
- 2019: Diamond DeShields, Chicago Sky
- 2010: Renee Montgomery, Connecticut Sun
- 2009: Cappie Pondexter/Sophia Young/Charde Houston (Phoenix Mercury, San Antonio, Minnesota)
- 2007: Becky Hammon, San Antonio Stars
- 2006: Seimone Augustus, Minnesota Lynx
- 2005: Sue Bird, Seattle Storm
- 2003: Dawn Staley, Charlotte Sting
