The 2026 WNBA All-Star starters are locked in, and the voting results tell a pretty clear story: staying healthy matters just as much as being elite.
A’ja Wilson, Breanna Stewart, Aliyah Boston, Kelsey Mitchell, Caitlin Clark, Paige Bueckers, Olivia Miles, Jessica Shepard, and Gabby Williams all earned starting spots through the combined fan, player, and media vote. But look at that list closely. Almost every one of them has been on the floor regularly this season. That’s not a coincidence.
Injuries have hit the WNBA hard during the opening months of 2026. Some stars managed to maintain All-Star form despite missing time. Others saw campaigns that looked destined for a starting spot get derailed entirely.
Fan voting rewards the players you actually see
The voting system gives fans a big voice, but popularity only carries you so far if you aren’t playing. Fans vote for the players they watch. Media members and fellow players vote for consistency over a full half-season, not just flashes of brilliance. Missing multiple games means losing those nightly highlights, the stat-piling nights, the moments that stick in voters’ minds.
Kelsey Plum is probably the best example. Before she went down with a lower leg injury, the Sparks guard was playing at an obvious All-Star level. But a long absence meant her resume couldn’t keep up with healthy competitors. Her reputation is still strong, but fewer games and less visibility made it impossible to climb high enough in all three voting categories to crack the starting lineup.
Some stars never had a real shot
A few players entered 2026 with legitimate All-Star starter expectations and then watched everything shift. Napheesa Collier hasn’t been available for Minnesota’s first half, and the Lynx have thrived without her. That says a lot about their depth but also means Collier simply wasn’t in the race. She’s ramping up now, but the voting period closed long before her return.
Sabrina Ionescu’s season has been a mess of ankle and back issues. The Liberty guard is one of the league’s most recognizable names, and she typically draws big fan support. But with a significant chunk of the first half missed, her statistical output and national visibility took a real hit compared to the guards who stayed available week after week.
There’s also a trickle-down effect here. When a star is out, teammates get more minutes, more touches, more national TV exposure. That helped Miles and Howard in Minnesota. It helped open doors for players like Shepard and Mitchell to claim spots that might have gone to bigger names.
Coaches get the final say on reserves
WNBA head coaches will pick the remaining 12 All-Stars, and their process is different. Coaches watch opponents all season. They’re less swayed by popularity and more focused on actual impact. Availability still matters, but there’s no minimum games requirement, so coaches have room to reward players who were outstanding when healthy even if they missed some time.
Players like Angel Reese, Marina Mabrey, Alyssa Thomas, Sonia Citron, Chennedy Carter, Carla Leite, and Ionescu are all in the mix. The harder cases involve players like Plum, whose absence might extend through the All-Star Game itself. Nothing is settled until the commissioner announces replacements, and injuries can still shuffle the final roster right up until tipoff in Chicago.
What this year’s voting showed is straightforward: you can’t make the team if you’re not on the court. Superstar talent is the starting point, but sustained availability is what actually closes the deal.
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