Paige Bueckers is set to make her mark in the WNBA as she was announced Monday as a starter for the upcoming All-Star Game. This marks a significant milestone for the rookie, who was selected as the No. 1 overall draft pick by the Dallas Wings this year.
With this achievement, Bueckers becomes the 10th rookie in league history to start in the All-Star Game, continuing a trend seen in recent seasons. Last year, Caitlin Clark of the Indiana Fever earned a starting spot, while Aliyah Boston did so in 2013.
Currently, Bueckers ranks 11th in the league for scoring, averaging 18.4 points per game, and stands sixth in assists with 5.8, leading all rookies in both categories. Her performance has garnered significant fan support, as evidenced by her receiving the sixth highest number of votes.
In the realm of seasoned players, Nneka Ogwumike of Seattle is tied for third in All-Star appearances alongside legends Tamika Catchings and Brittney Griner, trailing only Sue Bird and Diana Taurasi.
On Sunday, Caitlin Clark and Napheesa Collier were named team captains after receiving the most fan votes. They will draft their teams from the pool of starters and the 12 reserves selected by coaches, with those reserves set to be revealed this weekend.
Breanna Stewart from New York and A'ja Wilson from Las Vegas are also making their presence felt, each earning their seventh All-Star selection and securing spots in the starting lineup. Other notable starters include guards Allisha Gray from Atlanta and Sabrina Ionescu from New York, along with frontcourt players Satou Sabally from Phoenix and Boston, Clark's teammate.
The selection process for starters involved a collaborative effort among fans, players, and a media panel, with fan votes accounting for 50% of the total. Player and media votes each contributed 25% to the final tally.
Boston narrowly missed out on a higher fan vote placement, finishing just under 1,400 votes behind Collier for second place. While Clark topped the fan voting, she ranked ninth among players and third in media votes for guards.
Kelsey Mitchell of Indiana and Angel Reese of Chicago were close contenders for All-Star starter positions, finishing fifth and seventh respectively in their categories.
The All-Star Game is scheduled to take place in Indianapolis on July 19.
