The Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA) All-Star Game is an annual exhibition basketball game showcasing the best players from the Western and Eastern Conferences of the WNBA. Since 2004, it hasn’t been held during Summer Olympic years.
Each conference team features 12 players having the best seasons. Starters are chosen by fan votes via internet ballots, while the remaining players are selected by league personnel, head coaches, and media personalities. The game’s Most Valuable Player (MVP) is named by a panel of media members.
In 2004, the WNBA All-Star Game was replaced by an exhibition match at Radio City Music Hall due to the Summer Olympics in Athens. The USA national team defeated a team of WNBA All-Stars 74-58. This tradition of skipping the All-Star Game during Olympic years continued in 2008, 2012, and 2016, with a month-long break in the regular season to accommodate participants.
In 2010, an exhibition game was held instead, with Team USA beating a WNBA All-Star team 99-72. The Western Conference leads the series 10-4. Beginning in 2018, the teams are named after their captains, except in 2021.
In 2020, the Summer Olympics were postponed to 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, delaying the WNBA season and resulting in no All-Star Game. In 2021, Team WNBA defeated Team USA 93-83.
In 2024, the league continued its trend for Olympic years by organizing a USA Basketball vs. WNBA All-Stars exhibition. Team WNBA defeated Team USA 117-109, and Arike Ogunbowale was named MVP.
For 2025, the WNBA All-Star Game returned with full fanfare. The event was hosted at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, home of the Indiana Fever. The captains were Caitlin Clark and Napheesa Collier, selected via fan voting.
The weekend kicked off with the Skills Challenge and 3-Point Contest. Natasha Cloud (New York Liberty) won the Skills Challenge, while her teammate Sabrina Ionescu captured the 3-Point Contest title-her second in three years. It marked the first time two players from the same team won both competitions during All-Star Weekend.
Although Caitlin Clark was named a captain, she was sidelined from the game due to injury, as were Rhyne Howard and Satou Sabally. Despite her absence, Clark remained heavily involved in festivities.
The game was scheduled for Saturday, July 19, 2025, airing live on ABC and streaming on WNBA League Pass. Analysts projected a high-scoring affair, with Team Collier slightly favored.
Complete list of winning teams
1999: West 79, East 61
2000: West 73, East 61
2001: West 80, East 72
2002: West 81, East 76
2003: West 84, East 75
2005: West 122, East 99
2006: East 98, West 82
2007: East 103, West 99
2009: West 130, East 118
2011: East 118, West 113
2013: West 102, East 98
2014: East 125, West 124 (OT)
2015: West 117, East 112
2017: West 130, East 121
2018: Team Parker 119, Team Delle Donne 112
2019: Team Wilson 129, Team Delle Donne 126
2021: Team WNBA 93, Team USA 83
2022: Team Wilson 134, Team Stewart 112
2023: Team Stewart 143, Team Wilson 127
2024: Team WNBA 117, Team USA 109 (MVP: Arike Ogunbowale)
2025: TBD (Game held July 19, 2025 in Indianapolis)
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