Cooper, Weatherspoon draft 2026 WNBA All-Star teams
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- Cynthia Cooper and Teresa Weatherspoon served as general managers for the 2026 WNBA All-Star draft Wednesday, with Cooper's 'Team Coop' winning the coin flip for the No. 1 overall pick — and promptly trading jabs with Weatherspoon, asking 'Can you score enough?'
- Paige Bueckers (Dallas Wings) was the top pick after leading fan voting; Cooper praised her saying 'she can shoot the 3, she scores on all three levels' and called her a 'leader on the floor' who gets teammates involved.
- Caitlin Clark (Indiana Fever) received the second-most fan votes and was placed on 'Team Spoon,' where Weatherspoon built around her with four-time MVP A'ja Wilson (Aces) as her first non-coin-flip pick, followed by Olivia Miles, Aliyah Boston and Jessica Shepard.
- Angel Reese (Dream) was the first reserve selected overall, going to Team Coop, which also grabbed two-time MVP Breanna Stewart as its second starter alongside Kelsey Mitchell, Natasha Howard and Gabby Williams.
- Becky Hammon (Aces) will coach Team Coop while Cheryl Reeve (Lynx) leads Team Spoon in the July 25 game at the United Center; the rosters feature just one rookie (Miles) and three first-time All-Stars (Shepard, Malonga, Mabrey).
- The teams compete for a $100,000 prize pool benefiting two Chicago-based organizations focused on keeping girls in sports, with the winning team's paired charity receiving $70,000.
Why it matters: Cooper and Weatherspoon staked out opposing philosophies — scorers-first versus balance — turning the July 25 All-Star showcase at the United Center into a defined stylistic clash. The $70,000 charity prize flowing to a Chicago organization focused on keeping girls in sports ties the league's marquee midseason event directly to grassroots development in the host market.
