PHOENIX — Allisha Gray’s smile couldn’t have been wider. At the base of each arm rested a trophy. Her bank account is about to receive a significant cash influx. The deposits, totaling $115,150, represent 62% of her base salary of $185,000.
“I’m definitely excited about what I can do with it,” Gray said.
Gray became the first All-Star to win both the skills competition and the 3-point contest at Phoenix’s Footprint Center on Friday night. The 6-foot-1 Atlanta Dream guard defeated Mercury hometown star Sophie Cunningham in the skills competition final and New York Liberty center Jonquel Jones by one point in the shooting contest.
It’s also the first to accumulate so much cash during the first night of All-Star weekend festivities. The WNBA awards $2,575 to the winner of each contest, as outlined in the 2020 collective bargaining agreement. For the first time, Aflac committed $55,000 to the winner of each contest, as WNBA Players Association (WNBPA) President Nneka Ogwumike announced Thursday.
“This incredible contribution brings us closer to parity with our brothers in basketball,” Ogwumike said in a statement.
It’s another example of the league’s growth this season amid record-breaking viewership and attendance numbers. The investment players have long asked for is coming with more national TV windows, sponsorships and amenities. A record number of brands were activated at the league’s annual WNBA Live event, which this year was held at the Convention Center across the street from the stadium. Merchandise kiosks were stocked with various items (a weak point of past events) and fans mingled in downtown Phoenix wearing the bright All-Star jerseys of Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese.
“What we feel inside now matches what we feel outside, especially when it comes to investment,” Ogwumike, a nine-time All-Star with the Seattle Storm, said Friday. “I love that Aflac has come in and stepped up and really demonstrated their investment. And I hope it’s set an example for a lot of other organizations and companies that are looking to invest and partner. I really hope that this is something that continues.”
Ogwumike said he wished players knew that beforehand when they made the decision to participate, but “they still stepped in.”
The 3-point contest was not attended by WNBA and NBA 3-point record holder Sabrina Ionescu, who sat out the contest because she was focused on Team USA ahead of the Paris Olympics. Caitlin Clark said she wanted to take a break and enjoy her first All-Star weekend.
Marina Mabrey, Kayla McBride and Stefanie Dolson completed the 3-point contest. Mabrey, Sophie Cunningham and Brittney Griner, the only Olympian to participate Friday, played in the skills competition, as did Kelsey Mitchell. The Fever veteran replaced teammate Erica Wheeler, and even wore her jersey, when Wheeler, the 2019 All-Star Game MVP,
Gray finished last standing in both contests and seemed shocked when Jones’ final shot didn’t make the 3-point contest, giving her the win and the award. Las Vegas Aces superstar A’ja Wilson, Gray’s former teammate at South Carolina, cheered her on on the sideline wearing Gray’s signature glasses and a digital camera in hand.
“I felt really good after the skills challenge,” Gray said. “I ran all over the course, so I was able to work my legs and all that. I was a little fatigued from the skills challenge, but I was able to focus because I knew there was another 55km to go.”
The WNBA’s salary caps, which both sides agreed to what seems like an eternity ago, given world events and the growing interest in the league. Several players said Friday that salaries are one of the most important things, if not the most important thing, they want to see improved again with a new media agreement and collective bargaining agreement.
“That’s something I’ve always been talking about, player salaries,” said 20-year veteran Diana Taurasi. “How can we move forward in that regard? How can we make sure our players don’t have to go overseas for 10 years? I know, I’ve had to do it.”
Players can opt out of the CBA before Nov. 1 of this year and have indicated they plan to do so. The media deal negotiated as part of the NBA package amounts to $200 million per year and could provide an influx of cash to pay higher base salaries.
But it could be more, given the recent surge in interest. Hall of Famer Cheryl Miller, the Mercury’s first female head coach, said it’s “not enough, not even close” to what it should be.
“A two is good. An eight would be better,” said Miller, the head coach of the WNBA team at the All-Star Game. “That’s what I mean. Because they know that. And we’ve certainly made a lot of progress. It’s not about measuring, but it’s long overdue and we’re going to keep getting better and better. All you have to do is look at college basketball and see what’s next, the next wave. The next wave of excitement.”
Players can also sign marketing deals with the league and team to rake in more money. Endorsements are coming in at a higher rate than ever. Clark and Angel Reese, the sensational rookies who are in the Rookie of the Year contest and are teammates on the WNBA Team, are credited with attracting large numbers of new fans. Players like Paige Bueckers, a Naismith Award winner from UConn, and JuJu Watkins, a likely Naismith Award winner from USC, will draw more.
When players like Ogwumike and even Gray were emerging, they faced increased resistance from entities that now wanted a piece of the WNBA pie.
“We grew up with people saying, ‘They should lower the rim, they should do this, they should wear skirts, they should wear tight shorts. ’ You know what I mean?” Ogwumike said. “I just think, ‘We’re playing basketball, you know what I mean? ’ I think the level of investment right now is transformative because there are more people watching. They made it accessible for everyone to see.”
Just two years ago in Chicago, the All-Star skills and 3-point contests were held in a low-ceilinged convention center, without any ticketed fans and in the Friday afternoon television window. In Phoenix, it was a party complete with all 12 mascots, thousands of people packed into the stadium and celebrities scattered throughout the stands.
There were no rookies in the competition. Veterans who put in the work and experienced growth took center stage and Gray emerged victorious laden with trophies and lifted with cash.
He will invest some of that money in plans for a business. He may buy new golf clubs in the future. And of course, he said, he will take the team out to dinner on one condition.
“They just have to give me a heads up so I can prepare, because I’m still a very stingy person,” Gray said. “They have a plan, I’ll just foot the bill.”
It’s getting easier for WNBA superstars to do just that.