WNBA All-Star Game

Annual exhibition basketball game

Women's National Basketball Association All-Star Game

Frequency| Annual
Inaugurated| 1999
Most recent| 2023 (Las Vegas)
Previous event| 2022 (Chicago)
Next event| 2024 (Phoenix)
Participants| Eastern Conference and Western Conference All-Stars
Organized by| Women's National Basketball Association
Logo for the inaugural WNBA All-Star Game, held in 1999

The Women's National Basketball Association All-Star Game, commonly referred to as the WNBA All-Star Game, is an annual exhibition basketball game played in the United States between the best players of the Western and Eastern Conference of the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA). Since 2004, the game is not held in years when the Summer Olympics take place.

## Structure[edit]

Each conference is represented by a team of 12 players who are currently having the best seasons performance-wise around the league. The starters are determined by fans voting through internet ballots. The rest of the players are selected by league personnel including head coaches as well as media personalities. At the end of the game, an all-star game Most Valuable Player (MVP) is named, as decided by a panel of media members.

## History[edit]

In 2004, the game was not played in its usual format due to the WNBA players competing in the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens, Greece. That year, the USA national team defeated a team of WNBA All-Stars 74–58 at Radio City Music Hall.[1][2] This game is officially considered to be an exhibition rather than an All-Star Game. The league also took a month-long break to accommodate players and coaches who would be participating in the summer games.

The tradition of not playing the WNBA All-Star Game during an Olympic year has continued in 2008, 2012, and 2016 (along with the tradition of taking a month-long break during the regular season). The 2020 Summer Olympics were postponed until 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. For the same reason, the beginning of the 2020 WNBA season has been delayed. The league later announced a revised 22-game schedule, but no all-star game was played.

No official All-Star Game was held in 2010. Instead, there was an exhibition game matching the USA national team against a WNBA All-Star team, with Team USA winning 99–72 at Mohegan Sun Arena.[3]

The Western Conference leads the overall series 10–4.

## All-Star Game results[edit]

Eastern Conference (4 wins)  | Western Conference (10 wins)

|

Year | Result | Host arena | Host city | Game MVP

|
|
|
|

1999 | West 79, East 61[4][5] | Madison Square Garden | New York, New York | Lisa Leslie, Los Angeles Sparks
2000 | West 73, East 61[6][7] | America West Arena | Phoenix, Arizona | Tina Thompson, Houston Comets
2001 | West 80, East 72[8] | TD Waterhouse Centre | Orlando, Florida | Lisa Leslie (2), Los Angeles Sparks (2)
2002 | West 81, East 76[9] | MCI Center | Washington, D.C. | Lisa Leslie (3), Los Angeles Sparks (3)
2003 | West 84, East 75[10] | Madison Square Garden (2) | New York, New York (2) | Nikki Teasley, Los Angeles Sparks (4)
2004  | The Game at Radio City
2005 | West 122, East 99[11] | Mohegan Sun Arena | Uncasville, Connecticut | Sheryl Swoopes, Houston Comets (2)
2006 | East 98, West 82[12] | Madison Square Garden (3) | New York, New York (3) | Katie Douglas, Connecticut Sun
2007 | East 103, West 99[13] | Verizon Center | Washington, D.C. (2) | Cheryl Ford, Detroit Shock
2008  | No game due to the 2008 Summer Olympics
2009 | West 130, East 118[14] | Mohegan Sun Arena (2) | Uncasville, Connecticut (2) | Swin Cash, Seattle Storm
2010  | Stars at the Sun
2011 | East 118, West 113[15] | AT&T Center | San Antonio, Texas | Swin Cash (2), Seattle Storm (2)
2012  | No game due to the 2012 Summer Olympics
2013 | West 102, East 98  | Mohegan Sun Arena (3) | Uncasville, Connecticut (3) | Candace Parker, Los Angeles Sparks (5)
2014 | East 125, West 124 (OT)  | US Airways Center (2) | Phoenix, Arizona (2) | Shoni Schimmel, Atlanta Dream
2015 | West 117, East 112  | Mohegan Sun Arena (4) | Uncasville, Connecticut (4) | Maya Moore, Minnesota Lynx
2016  | No game due to the 2016 Summer Olympics
2017 | West 130, East 121  | KeyArena | Seattle, Washington | Maya Moore (2), Minnesota Lynx (2)
2018 | Team Parker 119, Team Delle Donne 112  | Target Center | Minneapolis, Minnesota | Maya Moore (3), Minnesota Lynx (3)
2019 | Team Wilson 129, Team Delle Donne 126  | Mandalay Bay Events Center | Las Vegas, Nevada | Erica Wheeler, Indiana Fever
2020  | No game due to the 2020 Summer Olympics, which was later postponed by the COVID-19 pandemic
2021 | Team WNBA 93, Team USA 85  | Michelob Ultra Arena (2) | Las Vegas, Nevada (2) | Arike Ogunbowale, Dallas Wings (2)
2022 | Team Wilson 134, Team Stewart 112  | Wintrust Arena | Chicago, Illinois | Kelsey Plum, Las Vegas Aces
2023 | Team Stewart 143, Team Wilson 127  | Michelob Ultra Arena (3) | Las Vegas, Nevada (3) | Jewell Loyd, Seattle Storm
2024 |  | Footprint Center (3) | Phoenix, Arizona (3) |

* Four WNBA cities were never selected to host the All-Star Game: Atlanta, Dallas, Indianapolis, and Los Angeles.

## Three-Point Contest[edit]

The Three-Point Contest, formerly referred to as the Three-Point Shootout, was held during the All-Star Game event from 2006 to 2010, and then again from 2017 to the present.

^  | Denotes players who are still active

|

*  | Elected to the Basketball Hall of Fame
Player (#)  | Denotes the number of times the player has won
Team (#)  | Denotes the number of times a player from this team has won
Location (#)  | Denotes the number of times a location has hosted the competition
Year  | Winner  | Team  | Final score / max  | % shots made  | Other contestants

|
|
|
|
|

2006 | Dawn Staley*  | Houston Comets | 17 / 30  | 56.6%  | Katie Douglas, Katie Smith, Diana Taurasi
2007 | Laurie Koehn | Washington Mystics | 25 / 30  | 83.3%  | Diana Taurasi, Penny Taylor, Katie Douglas, Deanna Nolan
2009 | Becky Hammon*  | San Antonio Silver Stars | 16 / 30  | 53.3%  | Sue Bird, Katie Smith, Shameka Christon, Katie Douglas, Diana Taurasi
2010 | Katie Douglas | Indiana Fever | 23 / 30  | 76.6%  | Lindsay Whalen, Swin Cash, Sue Bird, Monique Currie, Angel McCoughtry
2017 | Allie Quigley^  | Chicago Sky | 27 / 34  | 79.4%  | Sugar Rodgers, Maya Moore, Jasmine Thomas, Sue Bird
2018 | Allie Quigley^ (2)  | Chicago Sky (2)  | 29 / 34  | 85.3%  | Kayla McBride, Kristi Toliver, Jewell Loyd, Renee Montgomery, Kelsey Mitchell
2019 | Shekinna Stricklen | Connecticut Sun | 23 / 34  | 67.6%  | Kayla McBride, Allie Quigley, Kia Nurse, Erica Wheeler, Chelsea Gray
2021 | Allie Quigley^ (3)  | Chicago Sky (3)  | 28 / 40  | 70.0%  | Jonquel Jones, Sami Whitcomb, Jewell Loyd
2022 | Allie Quigley^ (4)  | Chicago Sky (4)  | 30 / 40  | 75.0%  | Ariel Atkins, Rhyne Howard, Arike Ogunbowale, Jewell Loyd, Kelsey Plum
2023 | Sabrina Ionescu^  | New York Liberty | 37 / 401 | 92.5%  | DiJonai Carrington, Kelsey Mitchell, Arike Ogunbowale, Sami Whitcomb, Jackie Young

1 All-time record score for a WNBA or NBA Three-Point Contest, surpassing the NBA record of 31 points set by Stephen Curry in Atlanta (2021), which Tyrese Haliburton equaled in Salt Lake City (2023). However, Ionescu used a smaller WNBA regulation ball to set the record. Ionescu also competed with Curry in a head-to-head shootout at the 2024 NBA All-Star Weekend in Indianapolis, with both players shooting from the NBA 3-point line but using WNBA and NBA balls, respectively.[16]

Three Point Contest champions by franchise

No.  | Franchise  | Last win

|
|

4 | Chicago Sky | 2022
1 | New York Liberty | 2023
1 | Connecticut Sun | 2019
1 | Indiana Fever | 2010
1 | San Antonio Silver Stars | 2009
1 | Washington Mystics | 2007
1 | Houston Comets | 2006

## Skills Challenge[edit]

The Skills Challenge was held during the All-Star Game event during 2006–2007, 2010, 2019, and 2022. In 2006, 2007, and 2010, the Challenge was a timed event, but in 2019 onward it changed to a three-round, obstacle-course competition that tests dribbling, passing, agility and three-point shooting skills. The event will showcase a head-to-head, bracket-style tournament format.[17]

^  | Denotes players who are still active

|

*  | Elected to the Basketball Hall of Fame
Player (#)  | Denotes the number of times the player has won
Team (#)  | Denotes the number of times a player from this team has won
Location (#)  | Denotes the number of times a location has hosted the competition
Year  | Winner  | Team  | Final Time/Competitor  | Other contestants

|
|
|
|

2006 | Seimone Augustus*  | Minnesota Lynx | 28.5  | Sue Bird, Cappie Pondexter, Deanna Nolan
2007 | Becky Hammon*  | San Antonio Silver Stars | 27.1  | Seimone Augustus, Betty Lennox, Nikki Teasley
2009 | Cappie Pondexter | Phoenix Mercury | 34.8  | Jia Perkins, Tamika Catchings, Sancho Lyttle, Swin Cash, Nicole Powell, Nicky Anosike, Alana Beard, Asjha Jones, Sylvia Fowles
Sophia Young | San Antonio Silver Stars (2)
Charde Houston | Minnesota Lynx (2)
2010 | Renee Montgomery | Connecticut Sun | 25.0  | Cappie Pondexter, Lindsay Whalen, Iziane Castro Marques, Lindsey Harding, Angel McCoughtry
2019 | Diamond DeShields ^  | Chicago Sky | Jonquel Jones | Courtney Vandersloot, Sami Whitcomb, Napheesa Collier, Odyssey Sims, Elizabeth Williams, Brittney Griner
2022 | Sabrina Ionescu^  | New York Liberty | NaLyssa Smith | Courtney Vandersloot, Jonquel Jones, Jackie Young, Kelsey Plum, Azura Stevens, Rhyne Howard
2023 | Kelsey Plum^  | Las Vegas Aces | Courtney Vandersloot
Sabrina Ionescu | Allisha Gray, Cheyenne Parker, Arike Ogunbowale, Satou Sabally
Chelsea Gray^

## See also[edit]

* List of WNBA All-Stars
* Women's National Basketball Association
* NBA All-Star Game

## Notes[edit]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to WNBA All-Star Game.

1. ^ "USA BASKETBALL 74, WNBA ALL". ESPN. Retrieved July 11, 2010.
2. ^ "Fowles' third quarter helps Team USA power past WNBA All-Stars". ESPN. July 10, 2010. Retrieved July 11, 2010.
3. ^ Hays, Graham (July 9, 2010). "Win a good start for Team USA". ESPN. Retrieved July 11, 2010.
4. ^ "1999 WNBA All-Star Game: Box Score". WNBA.COM. Retrieved July 11, 2010.
5. ^ "1999 WNBA All-Star Game Notes". WNBA.COM. Retrieved July 11, 2010.
6. ^ "2000 WNBA All-Star Game: Box Score". WNBA.COM. Retrieved July 11, 2010.
7. ^ "2000 WNBA All-Star Game Notes". WNBA.COM. Retrieved July 11, 2010.
8. ^ Rubinstein, Barry (July 16, 2001). "2001 WNBA All-Star Game Recap". WNBA.COM. Retrieved July 11, 2010.
9. ^ "2002 WNBA All-Star Game Recap". WNBA.COM. July 25, 2009. Retrieved July 11, 2010.
10. ^ "Teasley Keeps MVP Trophy in the Sparks Family". WNBA.COM. July 25, 2009. Retrieved July 11, 2010.
11. ^ "West wins highest-scoring All-Star Game by largest margin". WNBA.COM. Retrieved July 11, 2010.
12. ^ "Douglas Shines Bright as East Notch First Victory". WNBA.COM. July 25, 2009. Retrieved July 11, 2010.
13. ^ "CFord Leads East Past West in All-Star Thriller". WNBA.COM. July 25, 2009. Retrieved July 11, 2010.
14. ^ "Cash sets scoring record in All-Star game as West prevails". WNBA.COM. July 25, 2009. Retrieved July 11, 2010.
15. ^ "Katie Douglas hits key 3-pointer to lift WNBA East All-Stars". ESPN. July 24, 2011. Retrieved July 24, 2011.
16. ^ Philippou, Alexa (July 14, 2023). "Sabrina Ionescu scores record 37 points to win WNBA 3-point contest". ESPN. Retrieved July 15, 2023.
17. ^ "WNBA All-Star Friday Night to Feature 3-Point Contest, Skills Challenge, and Beach Concert & Party". wnba.com. WNBA. June 17, 2019. Retrieved July 5, 2019.

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WNBA All-Star Game

* All-Star Game MVP Award
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* NBA All-Star Game

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* v
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Women's National Basketball Association (2024)

Teams|

| East|

* Atlanta Dream
* Chicago Sky
* Connecticut Sun
* Indiana Fever
* New York Liberty
* Washington Mystics

|

West|

* Dallas Wings
* Las Vegas Aces
* Los Angeles Sparks
* Minnesota Lynx
* Phoenix Mercury
* Seattle Storm

Annual events|

* Seasons
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Statistics|

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Other|

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