Jonquel Jones wins WNBA All-Star MVP as Team Spoon tops Team Coop 129-122 in Chicago

Jones claims All-Star MVP in emotional return to the court

Jonquel Jones was named MVP of the WNBA All-Star Game on Saturday night in Chicago, an emotional honor she dedicated to a recently deceased aunt she described as one of the matriarchs of her family. The 32-year-old New York Liberty center said her aunt had been cremated with ashes to be spread later, which made it easier for her to play on Saturday. Jones also addressed and apologized for prior livestream comments that insinuated Minnesota should have won the 2024 WNBA title, saying New York and the organization mean a great deal to her.

Team Spoon outlasts Team Coop in record-setting showcase

Team Spoon defeated Team Coop 129-122 at the United Center in front of a record crowd of 19,783, the first WNBA All-Star Game held in Chicago since 2022 and played in the larger United Center instead of Wintrust Arena. Jones led Team Spoon with 22 points, 13 rebounds and eight assists, finishing just short of the second triple-double in WNBA All-Star history a year after Skylar Diggins recorded the first. Allisha Gray added 19 points and Caitlin Clark finished with 17 for Team Spoon, which had eight players score in double figures. Kelsey Mitchell paced Team Coop with 28 points, while Marina Mabrey scored all 23 of her points in a red-hot first half.

Malonga's dunk and Ogwumike's milestone highlight All-Star records

Dominique Malonga, the 6-foot-6 Seattle Storm center, threw down a right-handed dunk off a pass from Angel Reese with 6:24 left in the first half, the first dunk in a WNBA All-Star Game since Sylvia Fowles in 2022 and only the fourth in event history. The 20-year-old Malonga finished with 12 points and 13 rebounds. Nneka Ogwumike scored 11 points for Team Spoon while passing Maya Moore for the most career points in WNBA All-Star Game history. WNBA legends Cynthia Cooper and Teresa Weatherspoon drafted the rosters, with Las Vegas's Becky Hammon coaching Cooper's Team Coop and Minnesota's Cheryl Reeve coaching Team Spoon.

WNBA commits tens of millions to new replay center

WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert announced at her state of the league press conference ahead of the All-Star Game that the league will launch an NBA-style replay center beginning next season, calling it one of the most significant investments the league has made in basketball operations. Engelbert framed the project, valued at tens of millions of dollars, as a move toward greater consistency, efficiency and transparency in officiating. She said details of the replay center still need to be worked out, even as the league publicly condemned ongoing online abuse of players during All-Star weekend.