WNBA All-Star 2025: Predictions and Favorites for the All-Star Game

WNBA All-Star Teams Taking Shape

As the WNBA All-Star Game in Indianapolis approaches, the teams begin to take shape. Voting to determine the starters closes on Friday, with fan votes counting for 50%, player votes for 25%, and sports media votes for another 25%. The final results will be calculated by averaging the weighted rank of each group, and the four players with the most votes in the guard position and the six forwards with the most votes will be the starters, using fan votes as a tiebreaker if necessary. The 12 reserves will be chosen by the league’s coaches, who must vote for at least three guards and five frontcourt players, and then four names in any position. Coaches cannot vote for players on their own teams. The two players with the most fan votes will be the captains and will choose the players on “WNBA Countdown” on July 8 before the game between the Las Vegas Aces and the New York Liberty. Kendra Andrews and Michael Voepel from Alofoke Deportes share their predictions about the starters and discuss who might miss the cut.

Projected Headlines

Captains

Caitlin Clark, Indiana Fever

Tied for first place in assists per game (8.9); was an All-Star last year as a rookie. Clark missed five games with a quadriceps injury and has struggled with 3-point shooting (1 of 23) in his last three games. He missed Thursday’s game against Los Angeles with a left groin injury, and it’s unclear if he will join the team when they travel to Dallas on Friday. But Clark remains an elite playmaker, even when his shot isn’t falling. And defenses put so much emphasis on covering her that it opens up opportunities for her teammates. She was the initial leader in the fan voting, which will likely hold and place her in a captain’s position. – Michael Voepel

Napheesa Collier, Minnesota Lynx

League leader in scoring (24.4 PPG); four-time All-Star Collier, the second-highest vote-getter in the first round of fan voting for the All-Star, is a lock. In the last year, she has risen to the top of the league, winning the 2024 Defensive Player of the Year award, being named 2024 MVP runner-up, and advancing to the WNBA Finals. She is one of the faces of the league, which is important when it comes to being an All-Star starter. Of course, he’s backed up his case on the court. His league-leading 24.4 points per game are a career high, as are his 52.4% field goal shooting, 42.1% 3-point shooting, 3.6 assists, and 1.5 blocks. – Kendra Andrews

Forward Line

Aliyah Boston, Indiana Fever

League-leading field goal percentage leader (59.3); two-time All-Star Boston is among the top 10 in the league in blocks, rebounds, and shared wins. She arrived as an elite defender and has continued to improve in that aspect. But the hallmark of her three-year WNBA career is her consistency. She had a career-high 31 points in the Fever’s win in Seattle on Tuesday, but struggled in Thursday’s loss to Los Angeles: the Fever as a whole struggled with Caitlin Clark out of the game, and Boston hit 4 of 13 field goals for only 12 points. Still, Boston tends to bounce back well. – Voepel

Nneka Ogwumike, Seattle Storm

Ninth on the all-time scoring list; nine-time All-Star In her 14th season, Ogwumike shows no signs of slowing down. Her scoring has increased from the previous year and she’s doing it with a better shooting percentage. Her 8.2 rebounds per game are the second-most in the last six years. Of course, being an All-Star, and a starter, is also about popularity, longevity, and impact on the game. Ogwuwmike currently ranks ninth on the WNBA’s all-time scoring list, ninth in rebounds, and sixth in steals. The future Hall of Famer meets all the requirements. – Andrews

Satou Sabally, Phoenix Mercury

Second in the league in usage rate (31.6); two-time All-Star In her first season with the Mercury, Sabally has elevated her game. She is averaging 19.3 points, better than her last All-Star year (2023) and in fewer minutes. Has an astounding eight 20-point games this season and is one of three players averaging at least 19 points, eight rebounds, two assists, and one steal per game, along with three-time MVP A’ja Wilson and 2024 MVP runner-up Napheesa Collier. – Andrews

Breanna Stewart, New York Liberty

Among the top three in scoring (21.0 points per game) and shared victories (3.1); six-time All-Star In her ninth season in the league, Stewart is used to carrying a heavy load. That has been even more the case during the absence of center Jonquel Jones due to an ankle injury. The Liberty have lost three games, but Stewart continues to do everything she can to keep them in the fight to repeat as WNBA champions. If her field goal percentage of 51.9 holds at that level this season, it will be the best since she finished with 52.9 in her first MVP season in 2018. – Voepel

A’ja Wilson, Las Vegas Aces

Among the top three in scoring (21.2 points per game), rebounds (9.6), and blocks (2.6); six-time All-Star It hasn’t been the easiest season for the Aces, who have a 7-8 record, but Wilson, who missed three games due to concussion protocol, is still MVP caliber. On Wednesday, she became the fastest in WNBA history to reach 5,000 points, doing so in 238 games. Wilson remains one of the league’s top scorers and defenders, and she’s also averaging a career-high in assists (3.5) this season. – Voepel

Guards

Skylar Diggins, Seattle Storm

Among the top 10 all-time in assists (1,602); six-time All-Star During Unrivaled’s inaugural season, Diggins said she didn’t feel like herself last season, the year after returning to the WNBA after maternity leave. It seems that the 3-on-3 league has helped bring her game back to the level she wanted. Diggins is averaging 18.7 points, the third-highest scoring average of her career. Her 45.5% field goal percentage is also the second-highest mark of her career and a massive increase in efficiency from last year. Diggins has been an All-Star in six of her 10 seasons in the WNBA. With her production, there’s no reason why she won’t be again this summer. – Andrews

Allisha Gray, Atlanta Dream

First player to win the All-Star Skills Challenge and the 3-point contest (2024); two-time All-Star Gray, the Dream player with the highest ranking in the first round of fan voting, is having the best season of her nine-year career. She was an All-Star last year, but her level of play this season should insert her into the starting lineup. She has thrived in the new system of Dream coach Karl Smesko, operating in an incredible amount of space with the green light to shoot 3s. Her 42.9% shooting from distance is a career high, and she is sixth in the league in scoring. – Andrews

Sabrina Ionescu, New York Liberty

Averaging a career high of 19.7 points; three-time All-Star Now in her fifth full season in the WNBA, she was limited to just three games by an ankle injury in her rookie season in 2020, Ionescu is a smart veteran who can take over games when needed. She had back-to-back 34-point performances earlier this month and has adapted well to a new backcourt partner in Natasha Cloud this season. Ionescu can make the big plays in crucial moments, such as scoring 7-of-7 free throws in the final two minutes on Wednesday for an 81-78 win in Golden State. – Voepel

The Most Difficult Choices

Rhyne Howard, Atlanta Dream, guard

Howard is having an All-Star-worthy season, although that’s not necessarily evident from his stats. His 35% field goal shooting and 30.6% 3-point shooting are career lows, but he has found other ways to impact the game. In Smesko’s system, Howard has found a way to thrive as a facilitator, averaging a career-high 4.7 assists. On defense, he is often assigned to the opponent’s best scorer. Howard averages 1.6 steals and 0.9 blocks. His 5.3 rebounds per game are also a career-high. Starting in the All-Star Game requires a lot of consideration, but Howard was not selected. There is no doubt, however, that she should be in Indianapolis in July. – Andrews

Alyssa Thomas, Phoenix Mercury, forward

In her first season in Phoenix after 11 years in Connecticut, Thomas has been just what the Mercury wanted. She is tied for the league lead in assists (8.9), while also averaging 14.4 points and 7.2 rebounds. She missed five games with a calf injury, but has returned strongly. She is a big reason why the new Mercury is off to a good start. However, it’s difficult to break into the top six at the forward position because it’s very crowded. – Voepel

Who might team captains pick first in the All-Star draft?

Caitlin Clark: It makes sense that the Fever’s point guard would choose her teammate, Aliyah Boston, first. The two have forged a very strong connection in only their second season playing together. Clark does a great job of finding Boston in transition and in the half-court, as they understand each other very well. Boston has excellent hands and is ready to catch any pass from Clark. – Voepel Napheesa Collier: The relationship between Collier and Breanna Stewart goes back to their days at UConn. They have played together in the Olympics. They have competed against each other in the WNBA Finals. Heck, they launched a business (Unrivaled) as partners. The admiration and respect they have for each other as competitors and friends has always been a highlight for women’s basketball. It’s a lot of fun to watch them compete, but it’s also almost impossible to pass up the opportunity to team up. With no other Lynx players secured as All-Stars this season, Collier could turn to an old teammate. – Andrews