The rosters for the 2026 WNBA All-Star Game are set following Wednesday's All-Star draft by honorary general managers Cynthia Cooper and Teresa Weatherspoon. Paige Bueckers and Caitlin Clark finished first and second, respectively, in fan voting, and were assigned to via coin flip. Bueckers will lead Team Cooper, while Clark will lead Team Weatherspoon.
Because Cooper won the coin flip to get Bueckers, the leading vote getter, Weatherspoon got the first pick in the first round, which saw the GMs select only from the starters pool. Weatherspoon took A'ja Wilson with her first selection, while Cooper added Breanna Stewart.
In the second round, featuring the reserves, Cooper had the first selection and added Angel Reese, much to the chagrin of Weatherspoon, who coached Reese for one season with the Chicago Sky in 2024. Weatherspoon's first reserve selection was Reese's Atlanta Dream teammate Rhyne Howard.
Trades were allowed, but neither general manager was interested.
Here's a look at the full rosters. Starters are in bold.
Team Cooper
Coach: Becky Hammon, Las Vegas Aces
| Player | Position | Team | Pick |
|---|---|---|---|
Paige Bueckers | Guard | Assigned | |
Breanna Stewart | Frontcourt | No. 2 | |
Guard | No. 4 | ||
Frontcourt | No. 6 | ||
Frontcourt | No. 8 | ||
Angel Reese | Frontcourt | Dream | No. 9 |
Guard | No. 11 | ||
Frontcourt | No. 13 | ||
Guard | No. 15 | ||
Guard | Aces | No. 17 | |
Guard | No. 19 |
Team Weatherspoon
Coach: Cheryl Reeve, Minnesota Lynx
| Player | Position | Team | Pick |
|---|---|---|---|
Caitlin Clark | Guard | Fever | Assigned |
A'ja Wilson | Frontcourt | Aces | No. 1 |
Guard | Lynx | No. 3 | |
Frontcourt | Fever | No. 5 | |
Frontcourt | Wings | No. 7 | |
Rhyne Howard | Guard | Dream | No. 10 |
Guard | Dream | No. 12 | |
Frontcourt | Liberty | No. 14 | |
Guard | Lynx | No. 16 | |
Frontcourt | Mystics | No. 18 | |
Frontcourt | Sparks | No. 20 |
The Chicago Sky will host this year's All-Star Weekend for the second time in franchise history. All-Star Friday is set for July 24 at Wintrust Arena -- participants for the Skills Challenge and 3-Point Contest have not yet been announced -- and the All-Star Game will follow on July 25 at the United Center. Tip-off for Saturday's main event is set for 8:30 p.m.
Now that the rosters are set, here are a few key takeaways from the draft:
Reeve will coach Clark after 2024 Olympics snub
Cheryl Reeve and Caitlin Clark have a contentious history.
In 2024, Clark's first preseason game was broadcast on the WNBA app for free, while the Minnesota Lynx's preseason game on the same night was not broadcast at all. In a since-deleted social media post, Reeve aired her frustration with a notable hashtag: "#theWismorethanoneplayer."
Later that year, Clark was a controversial omission from Team USA's 2024 Olympics team, which was coached by Reeve and went on to win an eighth consecutive gold medal. While Reeve was not part of the selection committee that put together the roster, she certainly influenced the team selection.
"It would be irresponsible for us to talk about her in a way other than how she would impact the play of the team," USA Basketball Women's National Team Committee chair Jen Rizzotti said at the time. "Because it wasn't the purview of our committee to decide how many people would watch or how many people would root for the U.S. It was our purview to create the best team we could for [Reeve]."
Last season, when Clark was a captain for the All-Star Game, Reeve was slated to coach Team Clark. During the draft, Clark traded Reeve to Team Collier in exchange for Sandy Brondello. While the move ostensibly reunited Reeve and Napheesa Collier, it also kept Clark and Reeve apart.
This time around, however, Reeve and Clark will be on the same side.
Team Weatherspoon has the chemistry edge
There were eight teams with multiple All-Stars this season, yet Team Cooper remarkably does not have a single pair of teammates. The 12 players on Team Cooper come from 12 different teams. On the other hand, Team Weatherspoon has three pairs of teammates:
- Fever: Caitlin Clark and Aliyah Boston
- Lynx: Olivia Miles and Courtney Williams
- Dream: Rhyne Howard and Allisha Gray
To the extent that chemistry matters in an exhibition game -- not much, unless we somehow get a competitive game down the stretch -- Team Weatherspoon has a clear edge. Clark and Boston have run thousands of pick-and-rolls together, Miles knows exactly where Williams wants the ball and Howard and Gray are one of the best defensive backcourts in the league.
