The WNBA announced the first return of fan voting for the 2026 All-Star Game, and there were some major surprises. First and foremost, Indiana Fever star Caitlin Clark, who led the first round of returns last year with 515,993 votes, was fifth this year with 253,602 votes. While Clark's drop-off was the most dramatic, voting tallies are down significantly across the board.
Reigning MVP A'ja Wilson, who is averaging 25.6 points, nine rebounds, 3.1 assists, 1.1 steals and 2.2 blocks on 52.4% shooting, and is leading the league in scoring and blocks, is first in the voting return with 308,249. In second place is Dallas Wings star Paige Bueckers, the 2025 Rookie of the Year, with 298,027 votes.
Here's a look at the top 10 vote getters from the first round of returns:
| Player | Team | Position | Votes |
|---|---|---|---|
A'ja Wilson | Frontcourt | 308,249 | |
Paige Bueckers | Wings | Guard | 298,027 |
Fever | Frontcourt | 282,186 | |
Frontcourt | 255,879 | ||
Caitlin Clark | Fever | Guard | 253,602 |
Wings | Frontcourt | 211,598 | |
Frontcourt | 204,643 | ||
Frontcourt | 195,641 | ||
Guard | 179,283 | ||
Fever | Guard | 170,125 |
There are two new teams this season and the league is as popular as ever, so the significant drop-off in votes across the board suggests a change in the voting process or how the votes were counted, rather than a sudden, dramatic loss of interest from fans. The league did not immediately respond to CBS Sports when asked for comment.
Among the top 40 vote getters, the full list released by the league, players received more than two million fewer votes in the first round of returns this year compared to last year.
| Year | 1st place | Players with 200K+ votes | Players with 100K+ votes | Total votes for top 40 players |
|---|---|---|---|---|
2025 | 515,993 votes (Caitlin Clark) | 11 | 19 | 6,410,965 |
2026 | 308,249 votes (A'ja Wilson) | 7 | 14 | 4,353,318 |
Fan voting, which accounts for 50% of the final tally to decide the 10 starters, will continue through June 27. Fans can submit one ballot per day. Players and media will each account for 25% of the final tally. Every player and each media panelist selected as an official voter will be able to complete one ballot featuring four guards and six frontcourt players.
Once all the votes are counted, players will be ranked by position -- guard and frontcourt -- within each voting group: fans, players and media. Each player will receive a score calculated by averaging their weighted rank from each voting category. The four guards and six frontcourt players with the highest score will be named All-Star starters. Fan voting will serve as the tiebreaker, if necessary.
The league's head coaches will select the 12 reserves. Each of the 15 coaches will submit one ballot with three guards, five frontcourt players and four players at either position, all regardless of conference. Coaches are not allowed to vote for players on their team.
Leading each All-Star team will be the head coaches of the two teams with the best records following games on Friday, July 10, regardless of conference.
Details regarding the announcement dates for starters and reserves, as well as the construction of the All-Star rosters, have not yet been released.
The 2026 WNBA All-Star Game is set for July 25 in Chicago. This is the second time that the city and the Sky organization have hosted the annual mid-season showcase.
