In an exhilarating turn of events for the world of women’s basketball, early fan voting for the WNBA All-Star Game reveals a razor-thin advantage for A’ja Wilson over Caitlin Clark, with a scant margin of just over a thousand votes separating the two formidable athletes. According to data supplied by the league this Friday, Wilson’s exemplary performance this season has garnered her immense admiration and support from fans.
Aliyah Boston, Clark’s steadfast teammate from Indiana, is trailing in third, nearly 40,000 votes behind the lead pair, but remains an eager contender.
Wilson has elevated her standing in the league by producing outsized performances this season, posting an average of 27.9 points and 11.3 rebounds. The Las Vegas Aces phenom has accumulated a staggering 217,773 votes—a “full-court press” by her zealous fan base, given her tally in the last season’s most fan votes capped at 95,860.
Just on Wilson’s heels is Clark, with a solid 216,427 votes demonstrating just how stiff the competition is.
Other noteworthy names in the vote list include New York’s Breanna Stewart and Dallas’ Arike Ogunbowale, coming in fourth and fifth, respectively. Chicago’s Angel Reese, in seventh place, emphasizes her tremendous impression as a rookie by being the only one in the top 10 vote list. Fellow fresh-faced players, Cameron Brink and Kate Martin, are hot on their heels, clenching the 11th and 12th spots.
Rounding off the top ten are Sabrina Ionescu of New York (sixth), Kelsey Plum of Las Vegas (eighth), Napheesa Collier of Minnesota (ninth), and Dearica Hamby of Los Angeles (tenth).
This year, the All-Star Game, due to take center court in Phoenix, on July 20, echoes anticipation, as fans eagerly await the lineup of WNBA All-Stars against the U.S. Olympic team.
Choose for All-Star honors are distributed across fan votes accounting for half of the score, whereas current WNBA players and media samples contribute to the remaining 25% each. The 10 players with the highest overall scores will step into the spotlight as All-Star Game headliners.
Subsequent selection of the WNBA team will hail from the pool of the next 36 high-scorers, which must incorporate 15 post players and nine guards, handpicked by the league’s coaches, albeit major leagues’ tradition is maintained, with coaches prohibited from voting for their respective players.
The much-awaited final WNBA All-Star Game rosters will let the cat out of the bag on July 2, shedding light on the top-notch talent that has won over the hearts and the determinants of votes of fans, peers, and media alike.