WNBA 2026 All-Star Reserves Revealed: Thomas, Copper Snubbed
Get the Sports newsletter
Daily sports — scores, transfers, the storylines from the leagues you actually follow. Free.
- WNBA All-Star Game reserves were revealed Tuesday for the July 25 contest (8:30 p.m. ET, ABC) at Chicago's United Center, with WNBA legends Cynthia Cooper and Teresa Weatherspoon serving as honorary general managers selecting from a pool of 22 All-Stars as the league celebrates its 30th anniversary.
- Alyssa Thomas was identified as the most notable healthy snub — the Phoenix Mercury forward leads the league in assists, ranks 15th in rebounds and 27th in scoring on 51.5% shooting, and the Mercury's team struggles likely hurt her vote totals; Kahleah Copper, a four-time All-Star averaging 20.6 points, was also left off despite six 25-plus point games.
- Brittney Sykes of the expansion Toronto Tempo was the No. 8 scorer in the league (No. 5 when sidelined mid-June) and would have been an All-Star before a noncontact plantar fascia injury; Veronica Burton of the third-place Golden State Valkyries was floated as a strong injury replacement if the commissioner needs a guard.
- Marina Mabrey earned her first All-Star nod with the Toronto Tempo, highlighted by a June 25 53-point performance that tied the league's single-game record and two games this season with nine 3-pointers; Jessica Shepard (Dallas Wings) and 20-year-old Dominique Malonga (Seattle Storm, No. 2 pick in 2025) were also first-time selections.
- Nneka Ogwumike was named to her 11th All-Star team at age 36 in her 15th WNBA season with the struggling LA Sparks, while Paige Bueckers earned the highest weighted score (player, fan, media votes) among guards.
- ESPN's three analysts split on the All-Star Game MVP: Kareem Copeland picked Kelsey Mitchell (career-high 21.9 ppg, 48.9% FG, four-time All-Star getting her first start); Alexa Philippou picked Caitlin Clark eager to make up for missing last year's Indianapolis event; Michael Voepel pointed to Marina Mabrey and Courtney Williams.
- Bueckers and Malonga, who played together in Unrivaled during the offseason and have publicly shared lob aspirations, were cited as the most anticipated pairing — though they never connected for an in-game alley-oop, which the relaxed All-Star format could finally produce.
Why it matters: The snub of Alyssa Thomas — the league's assist leader and a six-time prior All-Star — is the most analytically defensible omission on the roster and underscores how team records still outweigh individual production in voting. With no Chicago Sky players among the 22 All-Stars and Angel Reese now in Atlanta, the host-city dynamic shifts attention to a deep guard MVP race where Mitchell's career year, Clark's anticipated bounce-back, and Mabrey's record-setting scoring run all have legitimate cases.
