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Coaches Pick 12 WNBA All-Star Reserves, Ogwumike, Reese Lead

7/7/2026

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Summary

Coaches Choose Reserves

Coaches will select 12 reserves for the 2026 WNBA All-Star Game.
They must choose three guards, five frontcourt players and four additional players while being barred from voting for their own team.
Nneka Ogwumike of the Los Angeles Sparks averages 16.2 points, 8.5 rebounds and shoots 52.5% this season.
Angel Reese of the Atlanta Dream posts 14.9 points, 11.8 rebounds and leads with 5.4 offensive rebounds per game.

Summary

Bueckers Tops

Paige Bueckers topped fan voting with 1,045,051 votes, the most of any player.
Lynne Roberts called Kelsey Plum’s omission a slap in the face despite her second-place scoring.
Angel Reese voiced frustration for Dream teammates Rhyne Howard and Allisha Gray after their snubs.
The All-Star weekend will be held in Chicago on July 24-25.
Indiana Fever’s Clark, Boston and Mitchell average a league-best 43.1 points per game.

Summary

Legends Draft Teams

The 2026 All-Star Game will be staged as part of the WNBA’s 30th-anniversary season celebration.
Two league legends will act as honorary general managers, drafting rosters from 22 All-Stars.
Head coaches of the two teams with the best records after July 10 will lead the All-Star squads.
ESPN analysts Kendra Andrews, Kareem Copeland, Alexa Philippou and Michael Voepel have projected the ten All-Star starters.

Summary

Sparks Miss Ballots

Only about 85 of the WNBA’s 180 players submitted All-Star starter ballots, a participation rate under half.
Los Angeles Sparks players said they did not receive ballot emails, prompting the team to acknowledge the lapse and promise a stronger process.
Head coaches will choose the 12 reserves, with the final roster to be announced Tuesday before the July 25 game at Chicago’s United Center.

History

Historical Context

The WNBA staged its inaugural All-Star Game on July 14 1999 at Madison Square Garden; the West defeated the East 79-61 and Lisa Leslie was MVP. After decades of East-West contests, the league adopted a player-draft format in 2018 and skips the game in Olympic years. The 2026 All-Star Weekend returns to Chicago’s Wintrust Arena.

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Coaches Choose Reserves

Coaches will select 12 reserves for the 2026 WNBA All-Star Game.
They must choose three guards, five frontcourt players and four additional players while being barred from voting for their own team.
Nneka Ogwumike of the Los Angeles Sparks averages 16.2 points, 8.5 rebounds and shoots 52.5% this season.
Angel Reese of the Atlanta Dream posts 14.9 points, 11.8 rebounds and leads with 5.4 offensive rebounds per game.

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