2025 WNBA All-Star Game Starters, Selection Process, How To Watch

The 2025 WNBA All-Star Game is upon us, and if the first half of this season is any indication, you’ll want to grab your popcorn. It seems like every day players are smashing records, hitting new milestones, and continuing to redefine what’s possible in terms of viewership, in-game attendance, and social media buzz.

It’s also no coincidence that the league just announced expansion to three new cities—Cleveland, Detroit, and Philadelphia—to add on to the new teams we’re getting soon in Toronto and Portland. The demand for more women’s hoops has never been higher, and we are so here for it.

There’s no doubt that WNBA All-Star weekend—slated for July 18 and 19 at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, Indiana—will provide more of the good stuff. And whether you’re a longtime fan or brand-new to the game, you might be wondering who will be playing in the big game, how those decisions are made, and of course, how to watch all the action. Look no further, and get ready to meet your 2025 All-Stars.

Who are the 2025 WNBA All-Star starters?

In her second straight year as an All-Star, the reigning WNBA Rookie of the Year topped the list with well over a million votes, an All-Star record. To make the honor even more special, she’ll captain a team on her home court in Indy (and she’s hinted in interviews that she’ll be looking to select as many of her Fever teammates for her roster as she can, *cough cough* Aaliyah Boston).

While Clark has been in and out of the mix for the WNBA Commissioner’s Cup champions this season due to a few minor injuries, she’s remained focused on her work in the gym, getting stronger to go up against the toughest defenses in the league.

She also told Women’s Health earlier in the season that her mental performance work is key to staying focused and grounded. “Not every night’s going to be great, not every night you’re going to shoot the ball well. It’s going to be frustrating when those nights happen, but how do you respond? How do you get better? How do you stay neutral during those games to still help your team win, even though things might not be going your way?” she explained. “When you’re competing at this high of a level and a lot of people are watching you, the mental side of it is almost more important than the physical skills of basketball.”

Napheesa Collier, forward, Minnesota Lynx

All hail Queen Phee! Collier, a five-time All-Star and first-time captain, leads the league with an average of more than 24 points per game and has already emerged as an early-season favorite for MVP glory.

Collier is also a passionate advocate for players, not only serving as a vice president for the Women’s National Basketball Players Association but also co-founding Unrivaled, an off-season 3-on-3 league that set a new standard for player salaries, amenities, and support when it launched its inaugural season this year. “You are already seeing the ecosystem changing,” Collier told WH in January.

As a mom to a 3-year-old, she championed groundbreaking family-oriented services at Unrivaled including a fully staffed nursery, playroom, and nursing space just steps from the practice court, and she hopes the WNBA will take note when the players negotiate a new collective bargaining agreement at the end of this year. “[Unrivaled] is going to be a bargaining chip for us—not only what it is to treat women athletes salary-wise, but how they should be treated overall,” she said. “This is the standard that we’re trying to make, and that’s something that we definitely have to change.”

Aliyah Boston, forward, Indiana Fever

Now a three-time All-Star, the former number one draft pick has made this list every year she’s been in the WNBA. This first All-Star Game on her home court in Indianapolis is sure to be a special one—though Boston is the first to admit the Fever feel the love no matter where they play.

“Every game is a home game,” she said last week after a road victory against the Dallas Wings with a significant amount of Fever fans in attendance. “When people show up to watch a game, they might have come for one person, but they leave liking many more. And so I think that’s the way you look at it, right? You have this arena that’s filled, and people are coming in like, ‘Woah, I like her. I like her. She’s tough.’ And so I just think it’s great for the game.”

The only rookie on this list of starters, Bueckers is already making waves in the league after being selected number one overall in the WNBA Draft. She’s currently top-five in the league in assists and steals per game, and leads all rookies with more than 18 points per game.

The UConn alum spoke to WH shortly after winning the NCAA national championship in April and said that working with a sports psychologist in the past year has really helped her stay focused, keep her eyes on her goals, and block out the noise.

“The old me would’ve had so many screenshots and old tweets pulled up, stuff people said on Instagram and the comments,” she said. “But I’m just so far removed from that stuff to where I’m not doing it for those people anymore. I’m doing it to prove the people that believe in me right.”

Allisha Gray, guard, Atlanta Dream

Last year, Gray made WNBA All-Star history when she became the first player ever to win both the Kia WNBA Skills Challenge and the STARRY 3-Point Contest. She’s now having a monster season in the W ahead of her third All-Star selection, ranking top-five in the league in points and 3-pointers made per game, and was just named Eastern Conference Player of the Month.

Speaking on a panel with Nike at the 2024 All-Star Game in Phoenix, Gray told WH and others in attendance that the secret to her success is “keeping my priorities in order, keeping the main thing the main thing and keeping distractions out. You tend to have a lot of distractions and a lot of people in your ear. So I think the biggest thing is just being able to stay focused and tuning out the negativity.”

The four-time All-Star and reigning WNBA champion is breaking records this season—last month, she became the fastest player in WNBA history to reach 400 career 3-pointers and also became the Liberty’s all-time 3-point leader. She’s currently third in the league in 3-pointers made per game.

Ionescu told WH last year that to her, strength means working towards being the best version of herself, even—no, especially—on the tough days. She also recognizes that sometimes that means taking a well-deserved break. “It’s having that mental strength and physical strength to keep pushing forward, and also the mental and physical strength to take a day off,” she said.

Nneka Ogwumike, forward, Seattle Storm

Ogwumike is headed to her 10th All-Star Game—only the fourth player in WNBA history to achieve that milestone! In a wholesome moment, her sister Chiney, a two-time All-Star in her own right and current ESPN analyst, broke the news to her live on the air.

“I did not know what she was calling me about,” Ogwumike told the Seattle Times this week. “She did not warn me, clearly. I was not on the screen because I was sleeping, but that’s Chiney. I was happy that she broke the news.”

Even though the All-Star Game is a regular activity for her, the 14-year league veteran and WNBPA president was still shocked to be headed to Indy this year. “I’m not going to lie; I was surprised I was a starter,” she said. “I’m very grateful. It’s been a long time that I’ve been playing, and so I don’t take these types of things for granted, but I just feel really grateful.”

Satou Sabally, forward, Phoenix Mercury

In her first season on the Mercury, Sabally is averaging a career-high 19.1 points per game, good for sixth in the league. The new-look Mercury are also rocking with the second-best record in the WNBA right now.

“It’s obviously a great honor to be part of such a special group,” she told reporters of her third All-Star selection. She also shared her hopes that her new teammate Alyssa Thomas would join her in Indy.

“We’re second in the league and I feel like we’ve been underrated the whole time,” she said. “For someone like AT to not be part of it, it just shows the system could be a little different. She’ll be in there and I trust in that because we all know what she can do.”

The reigning WNBA champ and two-time MVP is heading to her seventh All-Star Game, currently ranking third in the league in scoring with 20.8 points per game. A co-founder of the Unrivaled league with Collier, the mom of two aims to show them what’s possible on and off the court.

“Whether we’re with our kids or on the basketball court, I want to be the best that I can be, and to show my kids that when they get older, they can do anything that they want,” she told reporters, including WH, at the Paris Olympics last summer. “We just want to continue to change the standard, change the narrative.”

Three-time MVP and seven-time All-Star Wilson continues her dominance this season: She’s currently second in the league in points and rebounds, first in blocks, and third in steals, and recently became the fastest player in WNBA history to reach 5,000 career points.

And she won’t be stopping there. Earlier this year, she told WH the empowering message she’d give herself 20 years in the future: “I would just tell her, ‘You’re on the right path. Continue to strive for greatness.’”

As for a message to aspiring athletes watching her in awe? “Give yourself grace,” she said. “If it was easy, everybody would do it.”

Who are the 2025 WNBA All-Star reserve players?

The 12 players who will attend the All-Star Game as reserves will be announced at 12 p.m. ET on Sunday, July 6.

How are the 2025 WNBA All-Star players selected?

WNBA fans had the opportunity to vote for their 10 favorite players—six frontcourt and four guards—daily from June 12 until June 28. This voting period also included three days when fan votes counted twice. Current players and media members also filled out All-Star ballots.

The top 10 players were automatically named All-Star Game starters. This was ultimately determined by a weight of 50% fan voting, 25% current player voting, and 25% media voting. The top two vote-getters, Clark and Collier, were named team captains.

All 12 reserve players—five frontcourt, three guards, and four players at either position—are selected by the league’s 13 head coaches. Coaches are not allowed to vote for players from their own teams.

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Many a dramatic headline has been written over the past few days about these selections and snubs, especially when it comes to how the players voted, because it’s a salacious story to pit women athletes against each other! But remember this: Each player can rank the same number of people that the fans can. And it shouldn’t surprise you if they take different criteria into consideration when they vote, like league-wide statistics or total number of games played, in the same way fans may consider other less quantifiable but equally important factors.

That’s what makes All-Star voting so fun—and in a league with so many phenomenal players and personalities, it’s all but guaranteed that every person selected for this honor truly deserves to be there.

How are the 2025 WNBA All-Star teams chosen?

Team captains Clark and Collier will draft their teams during an episode of ESPN’s WNBA Countdown at 7 p.m. ET on July 8. They first choose from the eight starters, followed by the 12 reserves.

The head coaches of the two WNBA teams with the best records through July 3 were named as coaches for each All-Star team: Cheryl Reeve of the 15-2 Minnesota Lynx and Sandy Brondello of the 12-5 New York Liberty. Since Clark earned the most fan votes, her All-Star team will be coached by Reeve, the head coach with the best record. (And yes, that means that even though Reeve coaches Collier on the Lynx during the regular season, they’ll be going up against each other for this game!)

When is the 2025 WNBA All-Star Game?

WNBA All-Star weekend officially begins on Friday, July 18 at 8 p.m. ET with the 3-point contest and skills challenge, airing live on ESPN.

Then, the 2025 WNBA All-Star Game will officially tip off at 8:30 p.m. ET on July 19. It will air live on ABC and streaming on both Disney+ and ESPN+.

Amanda Lucci is the director of special projects at Women’s Health, where she works on multi-platform brand initiatives and social media strategy. She also leads the sports and athletes vertical, traveling to cover the Paris Olympics, Women’s World Cup, WNBA Finals, and NCAA Final Four for WH. She has nearly 15 years of experience writing, editing, and managing social media for national and international publications and is also a NASM-certified personal trainer. A proud native of Pittsburgh, PA, she is a graduate of Ohio University’s E.W. Scripps School of Journalism. Follow her on Instagram @alucci.