INDIANAPOLIS — Friday night’s WNBA All-Star festivities were more than just a showcase of talent. They were also a rare opportunity to get paid.
New York Liberty guards Natasha Cloud and Sabrina Ionescu walked away from the Kia Skills Challenge and STARRY 3-Point Contest, respectively, with wins — and with bonuses that would almost cover a year’s salary for a WNBA rookie.
Thanks to a partnership between the WNBPA and Aflac, each player took home a hefty check: $55,000 for Cloud and $60,000 for Ionescu. The WNBA chipped in an additional $2,575 apiece, which, considering the stakes, barely covers the cost of a flight and hotel for the weekend.
Sabrina Ionescu and Natasha Cloud took home big paychecks for their wins on Friday night.
(Photo by Steph Chambers/Getty Images)
It’s a significant payday when you put it in context. Most WNBA players earn between $75,000 and $150,000 per year, with only a handful clearing the $250,000 mark. All-Stars get just $2,575 for participating in Saturday’s game, although the MVP will earn an additional bonus of $5,150.
In other words: if you’re looking to make real money at All-Star Weekend, you’d better start working on your threes.
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Cloud’s victory came in the form of a timed obstacle course requiring rapid-fire passing, shooting and a sprint to the final layup. She had extra motivation to get the win, too, as she plans to use her prize money to put a down payment on a house.
“Absolutely, that’s Izzy B’s money,” Cloud said, referring to her girlfriend, Liberty forward Isabelle Harrison. “She told me to go win this money for a home. And that’s what it’s going down to. I’m really thankful for where our journeys have brought us and our careers have brought us, and just the next step.”
She added that the win was also personal validation. “I’m meant to be here. I’m meant to be on this level. I’m confident in who I am. I know who I am, and whether I get the flowers or not, I do my job.”
Cloud also reflected on what it meant to share that moment with fellow veteran Erica Wheeler, whom she beat by just 1.1 seconds in the final round.
“We represent the middle men, the middle women,” Cloud said. “That makes up the majority of our league and is often forgotten about. To be here tonight with Erica as a representation of those players that really just do their work and their role every single night, whether they get the thanks or the flowers, they know that’s their job. That’s their job every single night.”
Ionescu’s 3-point win came in front of a roaring crowd in Indy — the same city where she lost to Steph Curry in the NBA’s 3-point shootout last year. Ionescu also won the WNBA 3-point contest in 2023, where she put up an incredible 37 points in the final round. That score broke both the men’s and women’s records.
“It’s amazing,” Ionescu said after putting up 30 points in the final round on Friday. “I haven’t done this in a little while, so to be able to be back in a shootout is always fun… It’s a blessing to be here and try to do my best to make as many as I can.”
Before the contest, Ionescu made a promise that if she won, she’d give half of her prize money to Washington Mystics rookie Sonia Citron.
“We were sitting on the bench as the only rookie, and I was nervous for her,” Ionescu said. “So I obviously have to hold up my end of the bargain. Half is gonna go to her. I gotta text her and let her know… and then the other half will go to my foundation to continue to be able to give back in communities that mean a lot to me.”
Ionescu, who has a signature shoe with Nike and several other endorsement deals, isn’t hurting for cash herself.
“I just want to showcase to the world how you can believe in yourself, how you can put the work in. Whether you win or not, it takes guts to be able to go out there when the lights are the brightest,” she said. “You’ve got to fight your own demons when you get out there.”
Cloud and Ionescu’s dual victories gave all the bragging rights to the Liberty on Night 1 of All-Star Weekend.
“I’ve been talking to Sab about sweeping the night,” Cloud said. “Today is the day. It was a good night.”
The WNBA All-Star game tips off Saturday at 8:30 p.m.
