PHOENIX — Allisha Gray’s smile couldn’t have been wider. A trophy rested in each arm. Her bank account is about to receive a serious influx of cash. The deposits, totaling $115,150, are 62 percent of her base salary of $185,000.

“I’m really excited about what I can do with this,” said Gray.

Gray became the first All-Star to double-team and win both the skills and 3-point competitions Friday night at the Footprint Center in Phoenix. The 6-foot Atlanta Dream guard defeated Mercury star Sophie Cunningham in the skills final and New York Liberty center Jonquel Jones by one point in the shooting competition.

She’s also the first to bank that much money during the first night of All-Star weekend festivities. The WNBA awards $2,575 to the winner of each league, as outlined in the 2020 collective bargaining agreement. For the first time, Aflac has committed $55,000 to the winner of each league, WNBA Players Association (WNBPA) president Nneka Ogwumike announced Thursday.

“This tremendous contribution brings us closer to parity with our brothers in basketball,” Ogwumike said in a statement.

It’s another example of the league’s growth this season amid unprecedented ratings and attendance. The investment that players have long demanded is coming with more national TV windows, sponsorships and amenities. A record number of brands were activated during the league’s annual WNBA Live event, held this year at the Convention Center across the street from the arena. Merchandise kiosks were overflowing with gear — a sore point at past events — and fans packed downtown Phoenix in bright All-Star jerseys worn by Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese.

“What we felt inside is now matching what we felt outside, especially when it comes to investments,” Ogwumike, a nine-time All-Star with the Seattle Storm, said Friday. “I think it’s great that Aflac came in, stepped up and really showed their investment. And hopefully (it sets) an example for so many other organizations and companies that want to invest and partner. I really hope that this is something that continues.”

Ogwumike said she wishes the players had known about this before they decided to participate, but “they went ahead with it anyway.”

Sabrina Ionescu, the WNBA and NBA 3-point record holder who sat out while focusing on Team USA on the road to the Olympics in Paris, missed the 3-point contest. Caitlin Clark said she wanted to catch her breath and enjoy her first All-Star weekend.

Marina Mabrey, Kayla McBride and Stefanie Dolson rounded out the 3-point contest. Mabrey, Sophie Cunningham and Brittney Griner, the lone Olympian competing Friday, played in the skills competition, as did Kelsey Mitchell. The Fever veteran filled in for teammate Erica Wheeler — and even wore her jersey — when Wheeler, the 2019 All-Star MVP,

Gray finished last in both competitions and appeared shocked when Jones’ final shot missed in the 3-point contest, giving her the win and the payday. Las Vegas Aces superstar A’ja Wilson, Gray’s former teammate at South Carolina, gave her a boost on the sideline in Gray’s trademark glasses and a digital camera in hand.

“I was warmed up from the skills challenge,” Gray said. “I ran all over the field, so I was able to use my legs and stuff. I was a little tired from the skills challenge, but I was able to focus because I knew there was 55K on the line.”

WNBA salary cap, which both sides agreed to what feels like an eternity ago given world events and increased interest in the league. Several players said Friday that salaries are one of the bigger, if not biggest, things they want to see improved with a new media deal and CBA.

“That’s the one thing I’ve always talked about, player salaries,” said 20-year veteran Diana Taurasi. “How do we do that? How do we make sure our players don’t have to go abroad for 10 years. I know, I had to do that.”

The players have until Nov. 1 of this year to opt out of the CBA and have indicated they plan to do so. The media deal negotiated as part of the NBA package is reportedly worth $200 million per year and could provide an influx of cash to pay higher base salaries.

But it could be more, given the recent surge in interest. Cheryl Miller, a Hall of Famer and the Mercury’s first head coach, said it’s “not enough, not even close” to what it should be.

“A two is good. An eight would be better,” Miller, the head coach of Team WNBA, said in the All-Star game. “That’s what I’m talking about. Because they know. They know. And we’ve certainly come a long way. I don’t want to guess, but it’s been a long time coming, and we’re going to keep getting better. You just have to look at college basketball and what’s coming, the next wave. The next wave of excitement.”

Players can also sign league and team marketing deals to earn more money. Sponsorships are rolling in faster than ever. Clark and Angel Reese, the sensational rookies locked into a Rookie of the Year game and teammates on Team WNBA, are credited with bringing in large numbers of new fans. Players like UConn’s Naismith winner Paige Bueckers and USC’s likely future Naismith winner JuJu Watkins will bring in more.

As players like Ogwumike and even Gray emerged, they faced increasing opposition from the organizations that now also wanted to take a piece of the WNBA’s pie.

“We grew up (with people) saying, ‘They need to lower the bar, they need to do this, you need to wear skirts, you need to wear booty shorts.’ You know what I mean?” Ogwumike said. “I just think, we’re playing basketball, you know what I mean? I think the level of investment right now, it’s transformative because more people are watching. They’ve made it accessible for everyone to see.”

It was just two years ago that Chicago’s All-Star skills and 3-point contests were held in a low-ceilinged convention center, with no ticket holders and in the late Friday afternoon TV window. In Phoenix, it was a party with all 12 mascots, thousands of people packed into the arena and celebrities lining the sidelines.

There were no rookies in the league. The veterans who had persevered and seen the growth took center stage and Gray walked away a winner, laden with trophies and lifted with money.

She will invest some of it in plans for a business. There may be new golf clubs in the future. And of course, she said, she will take the team out for dinner, but on one condition.

“They just need to let me know early so I can prepare my mind because I’m still a very stingy person,” Gray said. “They have a plan, I’ll just pay the bill.”

It’s becoming easier and easier for WNBA superstars to do this.