Chicago Sky’s Allie Quigley wins the WNBA 3-point contest for a fourth time

CHICAGO — Allie Quigley said she means business this time: She’s retiring from the WNBA All-Star 3-point shooting competition.

But her finish was spectacular. Quigley won Saturday’s event for the fourth time, something no one in the WNBA or NBA has ever accomplished.

“Retired in my hometown: It’s a good picture book ending, I’d say,” Quigley said. She grew up in the Joliet, part of the Greater Chicago area, and played collegially with DePaul. She had previously won the competition in 2017, 2018 and 2021. She was eliminated in the first round in 2019, and there was no All-Star game during the 2020 COVID-19 blistering season.

Quigley, who turned 36 in June, is still going strong as a player, averaging 10.8 points per game for defending WNBA champion Sky, who leads the WNBA 16-6. But the pressure of the 3-point contest actually made her say she wouldn’t do it again after winning her third title in Las Vegas last year.

That was before the 2022 All-Star Game was awarded to Chicago. She said she realized about three weeks ago that she needed to do the competition again.

On Saturday at McCormick Place, across from Sky’s Wintrust Arena, Quigley won the first round by 26 points and then faced Washington’s Ariel Atkins and Atlanta’s Rhyne Howard in the final round, each with 24 points from the first round. Quigley then easily reclaimed the title with 30 points total over Atkins’ 21 and Howard’s 14.

Quigley’s Sky teammates cheered her on, including her wife, fellow guard Courtney Vandersloot, and Candace Parker, who wore Parker’s No. 14 DePaul jersey. Both Parker and Quigley were drafted in 2008, with Parker ranking 1st and Quigley ranking 22nd in the second round. Quigley was axed five times by four teams before finally staying in the WNBA with Chicago in 2013.

One thing she’s always known has been shooting, and she’s grown into one of the best 3-point shooters the WNBA has ever had.

“Sometimes things you really want to achieve won’t happen right away,” Quigley said. “It’s a journey, even for first-round picks. You just have to stay the course, you have to be trainable, a good teammate and just keep learning.”

Quigley cited players such as Diana Taurasi, Cappie Pondexter, Sue Bird and Katie Smith as being influential to her when she was a young player. She has also spent a lot of time playing abroad which sharpened her game.

But to be a great 3-point shooter, nothing can replace repetition. It takes a lot of work. New Yorker Sabrina Ionescu, who won the skill challenge with youth player Zoe Brooks, praised Quigley for her dominance in the 3-point match.

“I think this competition should be named after her,” said Ionescu.

No. 1 in 2020, Ionescu already has two triple-doubles this year and looks perfect for the skills challenge that combines dribbling, passing and shooting practice. Eight WNBA players competed in the challenge, paired with eight youth players in town for the Nike Nationals.

Ionescu’s partner Brooks is a 5-foot-9 security guard from Holmdel, NJ who committed to the wolf pack in June.

“She was fun to work with and she was super competitive too,” said Ionescu. “She asked me if I was nervous and I told her, ‘Yes!’ What a great opportunity for these kids to be out here watching, interacting, taking photos and asking questions.

“I’m super excited to represent New York and bring this home.”

Ionescu will play in the All-Star Game on Sunday (1 p.m. ET, ABC). Quigley won’t, but four of her Sky teammates will: Parker, Vandersloot, Kahleah Copper and Emma Meesseman. And Sky’s James Wade is one of the all-star coaches, along with Las Vegas’ Becky Hammon.

Quigley was asked to pick future favorites for the 3-point contest after retiring from the event, and she mentioned Ionescu and Howard, both No. 1 draft picks. No chance of her aiming for a fifth title?

“It is,” Quigley said, smiling. “You won’t see me again.”