The Women's National Basketball Association All-Star Game, commonly referred to as the WNBA All-Star Game, is the annual all-star game hosted each July by the Women's National Basketball Association, showcasing the league's top players. It is the feature event of the WNBA All-Star Weekend, a three-day event which goes from Friday to Sunday in a selected WNBA city. The WNBA All-Star Game was first played at Madison Square Garden on July 14, 1999.
Structure From 1999 to 2017, the WNBA All-Star Game featured star players from the Western Conference competing against star players from the Eastern Conference. Starters were selected by fan voting through internet ballots, while the remaining players were chosen by league personnel, including head coaches and media members. At the end of the game, the All-Star Game Most Valuable Player (MVP) was named by a panel of media representatives.
Then starting in 2018, the WNBA formally introduced a new format for the All-Star Game, eliminating the traditional Eastern Conference vs. Western Conference structure in favor of a player draft. In this new format, two captains – determined by the highest number of fan votes – draft their teams from a pool of players voted as All-Stars, regardless of conference affiliation. Voting for All-Star starters includes inputs from fans, WNBA players, and sports media members, with a weighted system (fans 50%, players and media 25% each). Reserves are selected by the league's head coaches.
The All-Star Weekend also features a Three-Point Contest and, until 2025, a Skills Challenge. The Three-Point Contest consists of multiple round in which players compete to make the most three-point shots from various spots around the arc within a set time limit. The Skills Challenge is an obstacle course designed to test players' abilities in key aspects of the game, such as dribbling, passing, and shooting. The player who completes the course in the fastest time in the final round is declared the winner. Both competitions usually feature five players, selected based on their performance during the regular season.
In 2026, in recognition of the league’s 30th anniversary, the Skills Challenge was replaced with a “Shooting Stars” timed shooting contest showcasing teamwork between teams consisting of a high school player from Nike EYBL, a current WNBA player, and a retired “legend” WNBA player. The Shooting Stars contest is slated for 2027, as well.
History
The inaugural WNBA All Star Game was played in 1999 at Madison Square Garden in New York City, in front of a sold-out crowd. Whitney Houston performed the national anthem. The West Conference defeated the Eastern Conference 79–61 and Lisa Leslie was named the first-ever All-Star Game Most Valuable Player (MVP) after recording 13 points and five rebounds for the West.
In 2004, The Game at Radio City was held in place of a traditional All-Star Game 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. The 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 competing in the Olympic Games.
From 2008 through 2016, no All-Star Game was held during Summer Olympic years, continuing the tradition of taking a month-long mid-season break. In 2010, an exhibition game, Stars at the Sun, was played at Mohegan Sun Arena, where Team USA defeated a WNBA All-Star team 99–72.
Although the 2020 Summer Olympics were postponed to 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, no All-Star Game was played in that season. The 2021 season featured the first All-Star Game in an Olympic year since 2000, with a WNBA All-Star team facing the USA national team. The 2024 game followed the same format and was also considered an official All-Star Game.
All-Star Game results
Eastern Conference (4 wins)Western Conference (10 wins)
Year Result Host arena Host city Game MVP 1999 West 79, East 61 Madison Square Garden New York, New York Lisa Leslie, Los Angeles Sparks 2000 West 73, East 61 America West Arena Phoenix, Arizona Tina Thompson, Houston Comets 2001 West 80, East 72 TD Waterhouse Centre Orlando, Florida Lisa Leslie (2), Los Angeles Sparks (2) 2002 West 81, East 76 MCI Center Washington, D.C. Lisa Leslie (3), Los Angeles Sparks (3) 2003 West 84, East 75 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 Mohegan Sun Arena Uncasville, Connecticut Sheryl Swoopes, Houston Comets (2) 2006 East 98, West 82 Madison Square Garden (3) New York, New York (3) Katie Douglas, Connecticut Sun 2007 East 103, West 99 Verizon Center Washington, D.C. (2) Cheryl Ford, Detroit Shock 2008 No game due to the 2008 Summer Olympics 2009 West 130, East 118 Mohegan Sun Arena (2) Uncasville, Connecticut (2) Swin Cash, Seattle Storm 2010Stars at the Sun 2011 East 118, West 113 AT&T Center San Antonio, Texas Swin Cash (2), Seattle Storm (2) 2012No 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 Lynx2016No 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 Fever2020No 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 (3) 2024 Team WNBA 117, Team USA 109 Footprint Center (3) Phoenix, Arizona (3) Arike Ogunbowale (2), Dallas Wings (3) 2025 Team Collier 151, Team Clark 131 Gainbridge Fieldhouse Indianapolis, Indiana , Minnesota Lynx (4) 2026 Team Spoon 129, Team Coop 122 United Center Chicago, Illinois (2) , New York Liberty2027TBDChase CenterSan Francisco Bay Area, CATBD
Five WNBA cities haven't been selected to host the All-Star Game: Atlanta; Dallas; Los Angeles; Portland, OR & Toronto, ON.
Three-Point Contest 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 once again from 2017 to the present. ^Denotes players who are still active *Elected to the Basketball Hall of FamePlayer (#)Denotes the number of times the player has wonTeam (#)Denotes the number of times a player from this team has wonLocation (#)Denotes the number of times a location has hosted the competition
YearWinnerTeamFinal score / max % shots madeOther contestants2006*Houston Comets17 / 3056.6%Katie Douglas, Katie Smith, Diana Taurasi2007Washington Mystics25 / 3083.3%Diana Taurasi, Penny Taylor, Katie Douglas, Deanna Nolan2009*San Antonio Silver Stars16 / 3053.3%Sue Bird, Katie Smith, Shameka Christon, Katie Douglas, Diana Taurasi2010Indiana Fever23 / 3076.6%Lindsay Whalen, Swin Cash, Sue Bird, Monique Currie, Angel McCoughtry2017 Chicago Sky27 / 3479.4%Sugar Rodgers, Maya Moore, Jasmine Thomas, Sue Bird2018 (2)Chicago Sky (2)29 / 3485.3%Kayla McBride, Kristi Toliver, Jewell Loyd, Renee Montgomery, Kelsey Mitchell2019Connecticut Sun23 / 3467.6%Kayla McBride, Allie Quigley, Kia Nurse, Erica Wheeler, Chelsea Gray2021 (3)Chicago Sky (3)28 / 4070.0%Jonquel Jones, Sami Whitcomb, Jewell Loyd2022 (4)Chicago Sky (4)30 / 4075.0%Ariel Atkins, Rhyne Howard, Arike Ogunbowale, Jewell Loyd, Kelsey Plum2023^New York Liberty37 / 40192.5%DiJonai Carrington, Kelsey Mitchell, Arike Ogunbowale, Sami Whitcomb, Jackie Young2024^Atlanta Dream22 / 4055.0%Jonquel Jones, Kayla McBride, Stefanie Dolson, Marina Mabrey2025^ (2)New York Liberty30 / 4075.0%Allisha Gray, Sonia Citron, Kelsey Plum, Lexie Hull2026^Dallas Wings30 / 4075.0%Bridget Carleton, Janelle Salaün, Marina Mabrey, Natisha Hiedeman, Rhyne Howard
Multi-time winners
Wins Player Team(s) Years 4 Allie Quigley Chicago Sky 2017, 2018, 2021, 2022 2 Sabrina Ionescu New York Liberty 2023, 2025
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.
Three Point Contest champions by franchise No. Franchise Last win 4 Chicago Sky 2022 2 New York Liberty 2025 1 Atlanta Dream 2024 1 Connecticut Sun 2019 1 Indiana Fever 2010 1 San Antonio Silver Stars 2009 1 Washington Mystics 2007 1 Houston Comets 2006
Skills Challenge The WNBA introduced the Dribble, Dish & Swish Challenge starting during the 2003 WNBA All-Star Game. It became renamed to the Skills Challenge was held during the All-Star Game event during 2006–2007, 2010, 2019, and 2022-2024. The most recent Skills Challenge rules were "a classic obstacle course format that will challenge players' abilities in each key facet of the game: dribbling, passing and shooting. In the first round, each player will maneuver around the course as fast as possible, and the players with the two fastest times will advance to the final round. There, they'll repeat the course, and the player with the fastest time in the final round will receive the trophy."
^Denotes players who are still active *Elected to the Basketball Hall of FamePlayer (#)Denotes the number of times the player has wonTeam (#)Denotes the number of times a player from this team has wonLocation (#)Denotes the number of times a location has hosted the competition
YearWinnerTeamFinal Time/CompetitorOther contestants2003*Charlotte Sting2005*Seattle StormBecky HammonTamika Catchings, Diana Taurasi, Deanna Nolan, Taj McWilliams-Franklin, DeMya Walker, Marie Ferdinand2006*Minnesota Lynx28.5Sue Bird, Cappie Pondexter, Deanna Nolan2007*San Antonio Silver Stars27.1Seimone Augustus, Betty Lennox, Nikki Teasley2009Phoenix Mercury34.8Jia Perkins, Tamika Catchings, Sancho Lyttle, Swin Cash, Nicole Powell, Nicky Anosike, Alana Beard, Asjha Jones, Sylvia FowlesSan Antonio Silver Stars (2)Minnesota Lynx (2)2010Connecticut Sun25.0Cappie Pondexter, Lindsay Whalen, Iziane Castro Marques, Lindsey Harding, Angel McCoughtry2019 ^Chicago SkyJonquel JonesCourtney Vandersloot, Sami Whitcomb, Napheesa Collier, Odyssey Sims, Elizabeth Williams, Brittney Griner2022^New York LibertyNaLyssa SmithCourtney Vandersloot, Jonquel Jones, Jackie Young, Kelsey Plum, Azurá Stevens, Rhyne Howard2023^Las Vegas AcesAllisha Gray, Cheyenne Parker, Arike Ogunbowale, Satou Sabally^2024^Atlanta DreamSophie Cunningham Brittney Griner, Kelsey Mitchell, Marina Mabrey2025^New York Liberty (2)Erica Wheeler Allisha Gray, Skylar Diggins, Courtney Williams
Shooting Stars Contest The WNBA introduced the Shooting Stars contest during the 2026 WNBA All-Star Game, in recognition of the league’s 30th anniversary. The event showcases 3-player teams each containing a standout high school player from the Nike Elite Youth Basketball League (EYBL), a current WNBA player, and a retired WNBA legend.