Delle Donne, Austin Lead Washington to Victory in Inaugural WNBA Shooting Stars Competition

Elena Delle Donne, Shakira Austin and high school player Jezelle Banks propelled Washington to victory in the inaugural Shooting Stars championship at the WNBA All-Star Weekend on Friday in Chicago. The trio combined for 31 points to capture the title, outlasting Seattle’s 24-point total in the championship matchup.

Banks proved instrumental down the stretch, connecting on two 4-point shots from just inside halfcourt to secure the victory. Seattle’s inability to convert any of its 4-point attempts ultimately proved costly in the finals.

The newly introduced format replaced the traditional skills competition with a two-round, timed shooting challenge. Teams had 70 seconds to accumulate points from seven locations spanning the court, with attempts ranging from layups to 4-pointers. Washington advanced to the finals by posting a preliminary-round leading 35 points, again aided by Banks’ performance from distance.

Seattle advanced past Detroit/Dallas, who scored 20 points, with high schooler Tatianna Griffin contributing two 4-point makes. Minnesota finished fourth with 19 points. The Detroit/Dallas roster featured former Shock standout Deanna Nolan, Wings All-Star Jessica Shepard and high schooler Morghan Reckley.

Winners received $15,000, while non-high school competitors earned $7,500 apiece. Last year’s skills competition winners received $2,575 from the WNBA.