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Legends Pick WNBA All-Stars: See Who Teresa & Cynthia Just Drafted!
The 2026 WNBA All-Star Draft: What Happened and Who’s on Which Team?
What Is the WNBA All-Star Draft?
The WNBA All-Star Game is a big fun basketball event where the best players in the league team up and play against each other. On Wednesday afternoon, the 2026 WNBA All-Star draft finished. Two legendary players (called "Hall of Famers") were picked to be the team bosses, also known as general managers (the people who choose the players):
- Teresa Weatherspoon (we’ll call her "Spoon")
- Cynthia Cooper (we’ll call her "Coop")
After the draft, Spoon said her team was super competitive. Coop, who won the WNBA MVP award two times, joked back on TV: "But can you score enough points?"
When and Where Is the Game?
Here are the important dates and places:
- The All-Star Game will be played on July 25 at the United Center (this is the home of the Chicago Bulls, a men’s NBA team).
- On July 24, two cooler side events happen at Wintrust Arena (home of the Chicago Sky, a WNBA team):
- The WNBA Shooting Stars event
- The 3-point contest (a contest to see who can make the most long shots)
How Were the Teams Built?
A coin flip (like flipping a penny) decided who got the first pick. Team Coop won the coin flip and got the top choice.
Because Paige Bueckers (from the Dallas Wings) got the most votes from fans, she went to the team that won the flip — so she joined Team Coop. Coop said: "Paige does it all. She can shoot the 3, she scores on all three levels, but the most important thing, she is a leader on the floor."
Caitlin Clark (Indiana Fever) got the second-most fan votes, so she went to Team Spoon.
Then the picking continued like this:
Team Spoon Starters (chosen by Weatherspoon)
- Caitlin Clark (Indiana Fever) *
- A’ja Wilson (Las Vegas Aces, 4-time MVP) *
- Olivia Miles (Minnesota Lynx) *
- Aliyah Boston (Indiana Fever) *
- Jessica Shepard (Dallas Wings) *
- means "starter" (a player who begins the game)
Team Spoon Bench Players
- Rhyne Howard (Atlanta Dream)
- Allisha Gray (Atlanta Dream)
- Jonquel Jones (New York Liberty)
- Courtney Williams (Minnesota Lynx)
- Kiki Iriafen (Washington Mystics)
- Nneka Ogwumike (Los Angeles Sparks)
Team Coop Starters (chosen by Cooper)
- Paige Bueckers (Dallas Wings) *
- Breanna Stewart (New York Liberty, 2-time MVP) *
- Kelsey Mitchell (Indiana Fever) *
- Natasha Howard (Minnesota Lynx) *
- Gabby Williams (Golden State Valkyries) *
Team Coop Bench Players
- Angel Reese (Atlanta Dream) — first reserve picked
- Marina Mabrey (Toronto Tempo)
- Dominique Malonga (Seattle Storm)
- Kelsey Plum (Los Angeles Sparks)
- Jackie Young (Las Vegas Aces)
- Sonia Citron (Washington Mystics)
Important Point: A "rookie" is a first-year player. Only Olivia Miles is a rookie in this game. Three other players are first-time All-Stars: Jessica Shepard, Dominique Malonga, and Marina Mabrey.
What Did the Coaches Want?
Each general manager had a plan:
- Weatherspoon (Team Spoon) wanted:
- Playmakers (people who help others score)
- Scorers
- Rebounders (people who grab the ball after a missed shot)
- Defenders (people who stop the other team)
- She said she built a "well-balanced basketball team."
- Cooper (Team Coop) kept it simple:
- Scorers first
- Then rebounders
- She wants her team to play fast, with no set plays, just running up and down the court
Coaches and Prizes
- Becky Hammon (Aces coach) will coach Team Coop
- Cheryl Reeve (Lynx coach) will coach Team Spoon
The teams are playing for a $100,000 prize pool to help two Chicago groups that keep girls in sports. The group paired with the winning team gets $70,000.
Full Team Rosters
Team Coop
- Paige Bueckers (DAL)*
- Breanna Stewart (NY)*
- Kelsey Mitchell (IND)*
- Natasha Howard (MIN)*
- Gabby Williams (GS)*
- Angel Reese (ATL)
- Marina Mabrey (TOR)
- Dominique Malonga (SEA)
- Kelsey Plum (LA)
- Jackie Young (LV)
- Sonia Citron (WAS)
- *starter
Team Spoon
- Caitlin Clark (IND)*
- A’ja Wilson (LV)*
- Olivia Miles (MIN)*
- Aliyah Boston (IND)*
- Jessica Shepard (DAL)*
- Rhyne Howard (ATL)
- Allisha Gray (ATL)
- Jonquel Jones (NY)
- Courtney Williams (MIN)
- Kiki Iriafen (WAS)
- Nneka Ogwumike (LA)
- *starter
Summary
The 2026 WNBA All-Star draft is done! Teresa Weatherspoon and Cynthia Cooper built two teams of stars. Team Coop won the coin flip and got fan-favorite Paige Bueckers. Team Spoon got Caitlin Clark and A’ja Wilson. The game is July 25 in Chicago, with fun events the day before. Coaches Hammon and Reeve will lead the teams, and they’re playing to win money for girls’ sports groups in Chicago.
FAQ
Q: What is a general manager in the All-Star draft?
A: It’s the person who picks the players for their team. Here, Teresa Weatherspoon and Cynthia Cooper were the general managers.
Q: Why did Paige Bueckers go to Team Coop?
A: Team Coop won a coin flip for the top pick, and Paige got the most fan votes, so she joined them.
*Q: What does “starter” mean with the symbol?**
A: It means that player is one of the five players chosen to begin the game on the court.
Q: How much money is being played for?
A: $100,000 total, and the winning team’s charity gets $70,000 to help girls stay in sports.
Q: Who is the only rookie in the game?
A: Olivia Miles, who plays for the Minnesota Lynx and is on Team Spoon.
