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 |
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.
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.
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.
Eastern Conference (4 wins) | Western Conference (10 wins) |
---|---|
Year | Result | Host arena | Host city | Game MVP |
---|---|---|---|---|
1999 | West79, East 61 [4] [5] | Madison Square Garden | New York, New York | Lisa Leslie, Los Angeles Sparks |
2000 | West73, East 61 [6] [7] | America West Arena | Phoenix, Arizona | Tina Thompson, Houston Comets |
2001 | West80, East 72 [8] | TD Waterhouse Centre | Orlando, Florida | Lisa Leslie (2), Los Angeles Sparks (2) |
2002 | West81, East 76 [9] | MCI Center | Washington, D.C. | Lisa Leslie (3), Los Angeles Sparks (3) |
2003 | West84, 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 | West122, East 99 [11] | Mohegan Sun Arena | Uncasville, Connecticut | Sheryl Swoopes, Houston Comets (2) |
2006 | East98, West 82 [12] | Madison Square Garden (3) | New York, New York (3) | Katie Douglas, Connecticut Sun |
2007 | East103, West 99 [13] | Verizon Center | Washington, D.C. (2) | Cheryl Ford, Detroit Shock |
2008 | No game due to the 2008 Summer Olympics | |||
2009 | West130, East 118 [14] | Mohegan Sun Arena (2) | Uncasville, Connecticut (2) | Swin Cash, Seattle Storm |
2010 | Stars at the Sun | |||
2011 | East118, 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 | West102, East 98 | Mohegan Sun Arena (3) | Uncasville, Connecticut (3) | Candace Parker, Los Angeles Sparks (5) |
2014 | East125, West 124 (OT) | US Airways Center (2) | Phoenix, Arizona (2) | Shoni Schimmel, Atlanta Dream |
2015 | West117, East 112 | Mohegan Sun Arena (4) | Uncasville, Connecticut (4) | Maya Moore, Minnesota Lynx |
2016 | No game due to the 2016 Summer Olympics | |||
2017 | West130, East 121 | KeyArena | Seattle, Washington | Maya Moore (2), Minnesota Lynx (2) |
2018 | Team Parker119, Team Delle Donne 112 | Target Center | Minneapolis, Minnesota | Maya Moore (3), Minnesota Lynx (3) |
2019 | Team Wilson129, 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 WNBA93, 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) |
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 |
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 |
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 |
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