WNBA All-Star voting is officially here, and this year, I (SB Nation senior women’s basketball writer Noa Dalzell) am submitting a ballot for the first time.
First, a little bit of context on how it all works. Media members can vote for four backcourt players and six frontcourt players. Ten players (four backcourt and six frontcourt) will ultimately be named starters. Those players will be determined by a fan vote (50%), media vote (25%), and player vote (25%).
In theory, having a media vote is exciting! Over the past few years, I’ve watched countless hours of WNBA games and have lots of strong opinions. In reality, having a media vote inevitably means leaving (several) deserving players off a list that you really want to see them on.
The important note is that in addition to the ten starters, the All-Star game will include 12 reserves. Those will be decided by the 13 WNBA head coaches, who will vote for reserves (they won’t be able to vote for players on their team). Already, the WNBA announced that Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark and Minnesota Lynx forward Napheesa Collier were the two leading vote-getters among fans, and will therefore
One more note: My selections were made on Thursday, June 26th — hours before voting was due — so I wasn’t able to take into account games played over the course of the last few days. That’s made a couple of omissions particularly painful.
My backcourt selections
Caitlin Clark, Indiana Fever
Clark has struggled of late, and the Fever aren’t the juggernaut many expected. Still, she’s been one of the league’s top playmakers — averaging 8.9 assists per game — and a critical part of Indiana’s success. Clark’s been sidelined with two injuries this season — a quad injury and a groin injury — and it’s not clear how much her shooting struggles can be traced back to these injuries.
Still, the Fever are tied with the Aces for the league’s 7th-best record, and Clark’s averaging 18.2 points, 8.9 assists, 5 rebounds, and 1.6 steals.
Sabrina Ionescu, New York Liberty
Sabrina Ionescu is putting together another All-Star season, though she’s struggled a bit in her last few games. Still, Ionescu is averaging a career-high 18.6 points alongside 5.1 assists and 3.5 rebounds per game. Her 1.5 steals per game are also a career-high.
Ionescu hasn’t been able to find her stroke from beyond the arc with the same level of consistency as she did when she shot 44.8% in 2023 — she’s shooting 32.8% from three this season — but she’s found other ways to score, attempting a career-high 4.8 free throws per night and shooting 93.1% from the line.
Allisha Gray, Atlanta Dream
Allisha Gray has made a massive leap this season. Gray is the league’s fifth-leading scorer and has played a critical role in propelling the Dream to a top-four seed so far. She’s averaging a career-best 19.5 points per game, shooting 46.9% from the field and 42.4% from three. She’s also averaging 4.1 assists and 5.4 rebounds per game.
Gray’s three-point shooting efficiency has been massive in head coach Karl Smesko’s three-point-centered offense. Of WNBA players making at least two threes per game, only Cecilia Zandalasini is shooting at a higher clip from beyond the arc.
Skylar Diggins, Seattle Storm
Skylar Diggins has been quietly putting together an awesome season. Diggins is averaging 18.9 points per game on 46.3% shooting, including 41.8% from three. That’s good for 7th overall in scoring. She’s also the second-most efficient three-point shooter among Top 20 scorers. Diggins is fourth in the WNBA in assists per game, averaging 6.1 dimes a night.
Note: There were several other deserving guards here, and those players will likely get selected as All-Star reserves. Honorable mentions include Kelsey Plum (Los Angeles Sparks), Brittney Sykes (Washington Mystics), and Paige Bueckers (Dallas Wings), among others.
Frontcourt selections:
Napheesa Collier, Minnesota Lynx
Napheesa Collier is having an MVP-caliber season and is a shoo-in for an All-Star starter. Last year’s Defensive Player of the Year has increased her scoring (20.4 points to 24.4 points), efficiency (49.2% FG to 52.5% FG), and three-point shooting (31% to 39.6%). She’s also the engine of the league’s best team; at 14-2, the Lynx have the league’s best record by 2.5 games and seem poised for a second consecutive Finals run.
A’ja Wilson, Las Vegas Aces
The Aces have struggled this season, and A’ja Wilson isn’t playing to the standard of her three MVP years. But, she’s still one of the league’s best players — second overall in scoring, third in steals, second in rebounds — and has continued to serve as a two-way force for the two-time champs. Wilson is averaging 21.6 points per game on 43.9% shooting, 9.9 rebounds, 3.8 assists, 1.9 steals, and 2.6 blocks. Her shooting numbers are down, but she’s still a top-five player in the WNBA.
Breanna Stewart, New York Liberty
Besides three-point shooting, Breanna Stewart is having an awesome season. She’s acknowledged on numerous occasions that she’s working to get her touch from beyond the arc back, but in the meantime, she’s found efficiency from elsewhere.
Stewart is averaging 20.8 points per game — good for third most in the WNBA — and is shooting 50.9% from the field, up from 45.8% last season. Her three-point numbers have plummeted, though, as she hits just 21.6% from three. Stewart also remains one of the league’s elite defenders on the WNBA’s third-best team
Alyssa Thomas, Phoenix Mercury
Alyssa Thomas has missed time with a calf injury this year, but when she’s been on the floor, the longtime Connecticut Sun cornerstone has demonstrated her impact. On Sunday, A’ja Wilson said that Thomas should be in the MVP conversation, and she’s not wrong.
Thomas is shooting a career-best 53.8% from the field en route to averaging 14.8 points per game. Her 9.3 assists per game lead the league, and she’s benefitting from playing with a slew of elite shooters in Phoenix, which she simply didn’t have in Connecticut. The Mercury have the WNBA’s second-best record at 12-5, and Thomas has been a massive reason why. (With Thomas in the lineup, Phoenix is 10-2).
Satou Sabally, Phoenix Mercury
The other engine behind the Mercury’s success is Satou Sabally. Sabally is the league’s sixth-leading scorer, and she’s held the fort down for Phoenix, averaging 19.1 points per game across 17 games. Sabally has struggled a bit from the field — she’s shooting 39.3% — but her overall impact in Phoenix has been undeniable. She’s also the league’s 7th-leading rebounder.
Gabby Williams, Seattle Storm
This is my wildcard pick. Gabby Williams’ numbers don’t jump out as much as some of the other forwards on this list, and she likely won’t be named an All-Star starter. But Williams’ perimeter defense has been absolutely critical to the Storm’s success, and offensively, she’s been a do-it-all player for a Seattle team that’s desperately needed her contributions. All-Star selections usually disproportionately measure offensive impact. I’m giving Williams the nod because her defensive impact — and offensive growth — has been massive.
Note: There were several other deserving forwards here, and those players will likely get selected as All-Star reserves. Honorable mentions include Aliyah Boston (Indiana Fever), Nneka Ogwumike (Seattle Storm), Angel Reese (Chicago Sky), Jonquel Jones (New York Liberty), among others.