By Mazvita Maraire Posted on

Jewell Loyd shines brightest in the 2023 WNBA All-Star Game

The WNBA  hit a home run with its 2023 WNBA All-Star weekend in Las Vegas. What better place to throw a party than Sin City? A league l that is continually growing, and refining its brand needs to throw a straight-up shindig one in a while. The shindig began last Friday with the three-point contest, and skills contest and culminated with Saturday’s All-Star Game.  Off all the stars participating in the contest Storm guard Jewell Loyd shone the brightest. Loyd set an All-Star game record with 10 three-pointers and  31 points in leading  Team Stewart to a 143-127 win over Team Wilson.

SKILLS AND THREE POINTERS

New York Liberty guard Sabrina Ionescu beat out Storm Sami Whitcomb in spectacular fashion to win the three-point contest. Ionescu’s set an all-time NBA and WNBA all-tournament record with 37 points in the second round. It looked as if Whitcomb was on her way to winning the contest when she scored 28 points to tie the record for most points in the first round after  Ionescu’s 26 first round.

 In the second round, Whitcomb recorded 24 points which is an above-average score and, in some years, good enough to win. Not in 2023  Ionescu flat went bonkers with the 37 points in the final round.

Las Vegas guard Chelsey Plum won the skills contest to add more anticipation to Saturdays All-Star  Game

WHO’S  WHO

 On Saturday as the clock tipped closer to tip-off, the stars began to trickle into the  Sold-Out Michelob   Ultra Arena.  The list of basketball dignitaries included Dwyane Wade,  Sue Bird, Kevin Durant, and Cheryl Swoops, to name just a few. On the court, the game was a celebration of the return of Brittney Griner who was an honorary captain in last year’s game because of her extensive 10-month detainment in Russia. Griner was a picture of joy as she smiled, and laughed on her way to scoring 18 points and 13 rebounds with  2 blocked shots.

Anytime you see Brittney in the paint, move out the way, because we know how that would end,” Wilson said of Griner. “What else were we supposed to do? We were already down by 50, so we had to do something… It didn’t really work out.”

LOYD BRIGHTEST STAR

A back-and-forth contest that had dunks, three-pointers, no-look passes, and blocks that brought oohs and aaa’s from the crowd was capped by Lloyd’s shooting exhibition. Loyd was simply unstoppable. In all fairness outside of a few blocked shots, very little defense was played.  Who plays defense in an All-Star? Certainly not the WNBA players who showed up and showed out. Lloyd’s 31 points broke May Moore’s and reigning SG MVP All-Star Game winner Plum’s record of 30 points set in 2015 and 2022.  For Loyd, the night was special in several ways. It was her parent’s 40th wedding anniversary and the last time she saw  Kobe Bryant was in Michelob Ultra Arena.

DON”T FORGET ABOUT EZI

The Storm other’s All-Star representative   Ezi Magbegor showed she was deserving of her selection. Appearing in her first All-Star game Magbegor played 12 minutes made one of four field goals attempted one three-pointer, grabbed four rebounds, and dished out two assists.

BIG PICTURE

Next year The Star game will be played in Phoenix the  WNBA of Griner and Dina Taurasi. With the announcement, I  can see Taurasi coming back for one more year. The WNBA is about joy, love, and giving players and coaches their flowers. I think the WNBA should give its self-flowers to pulling off a magical weekend that showed the players world-class talent and individualism.

STATISTICS

PlayerMinFGMFGAFG%3PM3PA3P%FTMFTAFT%OREBDREBREBASTTOVSTLBLKPFPTS
Jewell Loyd23:49102245.5102147.6111002246010131
Ezi Magbegor12:041425.0030.000–044210002

BECOME A DONOR AND HELP SUPPORT INDEPENDENT MEDIA

Discover more from Cascadiasports.net

Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.

Leave a Reply