Jonquel Jones led Team Spoon to a 129-122 victory over Team Coop in the WNBA All-Star Game held Saturday night at the United Center in Chicago. Jones was named the game’s Most Valuable Player after contributing 22 points, 13 rebounds, and eight assists. The performance adds to an impressive resume for Jones, who has previously been honored as WNBA Most Improved Player, Sixth Woman of the Year, league MVP, and 2024 Finals MVP.
The event drew a record 19,783 fans, more than doubling the attendance from the last time Chicago hosted the All-Star Game in 2022. The game took place in the United Center, home of the NBA’s Chicago Bulls, providing a larger venue than the Wintrust Arena where the Chicago Sky usually play.
Jones dedicated her MVP performance to her late aunt and urged young fans to stay persistent in their pursuits. “Just stick with it. Work every day. Trust your coaches,” Jones said. “It’s a journey, there’s going to be highs and lows, but it’s about consistency.”
Rookie Olivia Miles of the Minnesota Lynx came close to recording a triple-double with 11 points, 12 rebounds, and eight assists, putting her near a record held solely by Skylar Diggins, who achieved the feat in last season’s All-Star Game. Other notable contributors for Team Spoon included Kelsey Mitchell, who led all scorers with 28 points, as well as Allisha Gray, Caitlin Clark, A’ja Wilson, Courtney Williams, Nneka Ogwumike, and Kiki Irizar, all scoring in double figures.
Team Spoon established an early lead, holding an 81-64 advantage at halftime. They shot 55.7% from the field in the first half compared with 42.6% for Team Coop. The teams combined for 24 three-point baskets in the opening 20 minutes. Despite Team Coop’s Marina Mabrey leading all scorers with 23 points, Nneka Ogwumike’s team secured the lead behind strong team play.
A highlight moment came when Dominique Malonga electrified the crowd with a dunk off a pass from Angel Reese late in the second quarter, marking the first dunk in an All-Star Game since Sylvia Fowles in 2022. Malonga finished with a double-double, adding 12 points and 13 rebounds.
The game served as part of the WNBA’s 30th anniversary celebrations, with Hall of Famers Cynthia Cooper and Teresa Weatherspoon serving as team general managers and participating in an interactive broadcast on ABC. They were among several former greats to be “mic’d up” for the game.
Minnesota Lynx head coach Cheryl Reeve guided Team Spoon, while Becky Hammon of the reigning champion Las Vegas Aces coached Team Coop. Jones reflected on the opportunity to play alongside her usual rivals, noting that competing with teammates like A’ja Wilson on Team Spoon offered a different dynamic from their regular-season matchups.