Ogwumike Ties Taurasi with 11th WNBA All-Star Selection
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- WNBA announced 12 reserves on Tuesday, completing the roster for the July 25 All-Star Game at Chicago's United Center (8:30 p.m. ET), with the picks selected by coaches via a structured ballot of 3 guards, 5 frontcourt, and 4 position-flexible players who could not vote for their own teammates.
- Nneka Ogwumike earned her 11th career All-Star selection, tying Diana Taurasi for the second-most in league history behind Sue Bird's record of 13 appearances.
- Atlanta Dream placed three players among the reserves (Angel Reese, Allisha Gray, Rhyne Howard)—the most of any team—coming shortly after Reese publicly called her squad 'disrespected' for having no starters despite being tied with the New York Liberty for the best Eastern Conference record.
- For the WNBA's 30th season, the format shifts: legends Cynthia Cooper and Teresa Weatherspoon will serve as honorary general managers, replacing the previous player-captain draft system, with commissioner Cathy Engelbert handling any replacement selections.
- Kelsey Plum secured her fifth consecutive All-Star nod but has been sidelined since late June with a lower leg injury, with her game status to be determined closer to tip-off.
- Chicago Sky, the host franchise, have no players among the selected All-Stars this year—a conspicuous absence for the team whose home court will stage the league's milestone celebration.
Why it matters: Ogwumike's 11th All-Star selection cements her alongside Diana Taurasi as one of the two most-decorated All-Stars in WNBA history, just two behind Sue Bird's record of 13, while the Dream's three reserves—coming right after Reese's 'disrespect' comments—represent a direct coaching response that validates Atlanta's surge as a top Eastern Conference contender. The league's 30th-season format change hands the draft to Cooper and Weatherspoon, giving the milestone showcase a ceremonial weight over the previous stars-picking-stars model.
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