WNBA All-Star 2026 starters predictions: Clark, Wilson, more

July is here, and in a few weeks, the best of the WNBA will visit Chicago for the 2026 All-Star Game on July 25 (8:30 p.m. ET, ABC) at the United Center.

Which players will be named the 10 All-Star starters? Fans account for 50% of the vote, with all current players and a media panel accounting for 25% each. From that, four guards and six frontcourt players will be named starters.

In the most recent fan voting totals, released by the league June 24, the Indiana Fever's Aliyah Boston led the way with 683,996 votes, followed by teammate Caitlin Clark with 670,510.

The WNBA's 15 head coaches will select the 12 reserves (three guards, five frontcourt players and four players at either position, regardless of conference). Coaches are not allowed to vote for players on their own team. The head coaches of the two teams with the best records after July 10 games, regardless of conference, will coach the All-Star teams.

Since 2018 -- except for 2020, when there was no All-Star Game in the COVID-19 bubble, and the Olympic years of 2021 and 2024 -- the top two vote-getters have been named captains and selected their teams. (In Olympic years, Team USA played a group of All-Stars called Team WNBA.) But this year, two league legends will serve as honorary general managers and select rosters from the pool of 22 All-Stars. This setup is part of the league's 30th anniversary season celebration.

ESPN's Kendra Andrews, Kareem Copeland, Alexa Philippou and Michael Voepel project the 10 All-Star starters.

Guards

Paige Bueckers, Dallas Wings

Stat to know: 57.4% effective field goal percentage

Bueckers is one of three players this season averaging 19 points and five assists per game, alongside two of our other projected All-Star guards in Kelsey Plum and Caitlin Clark, all while continuing to impress with her efficiency. According to Synergy, Bueckers ranks fourth in the league in pull-up 2-point percentage and second in pull-up 3-point percentage (minimum 30 attempts). The reigning Rookie of the Year and 2025 All-Star is the centerpiece of an 11-8 Wings team that has already surpassed its win total from last year (10 wins) and could be a dark horse playoff contender this fall. -- Alexa Philippou

Caitlin Clark, Indiana Fever

Stat to know: Career-low 4.6 turnovers per game

The first knock on Clark always focuses on her turnovers and efficiency, but she is posting career bests in both areas. Her 4.6 turnovers per game still leads the league, but look at others in the top five: Alyssa Thomas leads the league in assists and Olivia Miles is No. 8. Turnovers happen when players have the ball in their hands as much as they do and have their responsibilities. The two-time All-Star is averaging career highs in points (21.2), field goal percentage (43.0) and 3-point percentage (34.4). She ranks No. 5 in the league in points per game and No. 2 in assists per game. -- Kareem Copeland

Olivia Miles, Minnesota Lynx

Stat to know: 5.7 assists per game

Miles has been one of the most dazzling players so far this season. Averaging 18.7 points. 5.7 assists, 4.8 rebounds and 1.4 steals, she has kept the Lynx at the top of the standings and has given Napheesa Collier more time to recover from her injuries. Not to mention Miles has done it all so effortlessly. She is one of the few players in the history of the league to make a run for MVP and ROY, and her All-Star status is a no-brainer. -- Kendra Andrews

Kelsey Plum, Los Angeles Sparks

Stat to know: Career-best 23.9 PPG

Plum is currently out with a lower left leg injury and is expected to be reevaluated in late July. She might not be able to play in the All-Star Game but still has done a lot to earn the honor. Her scoring and assist (6.4) averages are career bests. This would be Plum's fifth All-Star selection; she was the game's MVP in 2022, when the much-mocked tiny trophy she received prompted the league to upgrade the award. -- Michael Voepel

Frontcourt

Aliyah Boston, Indiana Fever

Stat to know: Career-high 42.6% 3-point shooting

An All-Star in each of her first three seasons, Boston continues to improve. She's averaging a career-high 17.0 points per game (No. 15 in the league), and her 8.6 rebounds rank No. 9. Boston has been a model of consistency throughout her career, and now she has extended her game beyond the 3-point arc. A 42.6 3-point percentage is No. 3 among all centers in the league, and she's taking a career-high 2.6 per game. She never averaged more than 0.7 attempts per game in her first three seasons. -- Copeland

Natasha Howard, Minnesota Lynx

Stat to know: Career-high 24.8 PER

Howard is putting together the best year of her career at 34 years old. Her player efficiency rating (24.8) ranks behind only A'ja Wilson and is a career high. In 13 seasons, the two-time All-Star has had a PER over 20.0 only twice previously. She is shooting a career-high 66.1%, which leads the league among players who average seven or more shots per game, and ranks No. 14 in points per game (17.7). The addition of Howard has helped propel the Lynx to the top of the standings without Napheesa Collier, and her career-high 8.2 rebounds per gane ranks No. 13 in the league. -- Copeland

Angel Reese, Atlanta Dream

Stat to know: League-leading 11.6 rebounds per game

Reese is the best rebounder in the league and has also seen a small uptick in her offensive production in her first season with the Dream, so it shouldn't be surprising if Reese is named a starter for what will be her third All-Star selection, bringing her back to Chicago for the weekend. It's a bit of a full-circle moment: During Reese's first All-Star appearance in 2024, a clip of her and teammate Allisha Gray smiling and joking at the scorer's table went viral and captured what Reese said was the start of their friendship. -- Andrews

Jessica Shepard, Dallas Wings

Stat to know: Averaging a double-double (14.3 PPG, 11.5 RPG)

In what has been her best WNBA season, Shepard could earn her first All-Star Game selection at age 29. Shepard played her first five seasons with Minnesota before signing as a free agent this year with Dallas, where she has become a full-time starter. She has two triple-doubles this season and has grabbed 15 or more rebounds in a game five times. -- Voepel

Breanna Stewart, New York Liberty

Stat to know: 32.1% of her points come from the free throw line

In Year 10 of her WNBA career, Stewart remains one of the best players in the league and the heartbeat of this new-look Liberty squad, leading the team in scoring, blocks and steals while coming in second in rebounding. A notable aspect of her game this year: She's getting to the free throw line more than ever before -- and more than all but two other players in the league -- with 7.2 attempts per game. This would be her eighth All-Star selection. -- Philippou

A'ja Wilson, Las Vegas Aces

Stat to know: League-leading 25.7 PPG

Wilson missed the Commissioner's Cup final Tuesday because of a right leg injury. But this season she is making the case to win her fifth MVP award and is playing as well as ever. She is averaging 9.2 rebounds, 2.9 assists and a league-best 2.0 blocks while shooting 52.4% from the field. This would be Wilson's eighth All-Star Game selection. Since the team captains system began during her rookie season in 2018, Wilson has been a captain three times. -- Voepel

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