WNBA’s favorite trash talkers
WNBA players in the orange carpet at All-Star weekend share their favorite trash talkers in the league.
Sports Seriously
When looking towards the future in the WNBA, sometimes it helps to look back.
Last year, Las Vegas Aces center A’ja Wilson and Minnesota Lynx forward Napheesa Collier highlighted the All-WNBA First Team as unanimous selections.
Those weren’t unfamiliar picks for the national panel of 72 sportswriters and broadcasters. It was Wilson’s fourth consecutive appearance on the First Team and her sixth All-WNBA selection overall. For Collier, a four-time All-WNBA pick, it was her third straight appearance on the First Team.
The 2025 All-Rookie Team included Dallas Wings guard Paige Bueckers, Seattle Storm center Dominique Malonga, Golden State Valkyries forward Janelle Salaün and Washington Mystics teammates Sonia Citron and Kiki Iriafen.
This year, Wilson seems like a lock to continue her streak. Collier can’t be ruled out, either, given the way she stormed back from injury in the Lynx’s final game before the All-Star break. But who else will earn all-league distinction, and which rookies will lead their class this season?
As we enter the stretch run of the 2026 WNBA season, USA TODAY Sports’ Studio IX took an internal vote on who might be in line for awards in September. We started with the major awards. Here are our predictions for the All-WNBA First and Second Teams, as well as the All-Rookie squad:
First Team All-WNBA
A’ja Wilson, Center, Las Vegas Aces
The league’s leading scorer (26.2 points per game) and rim protector (2.0 blocks per game), Wilson is leading her team to a top spot in the league again. In addition to another All-WNBA selection, she’s the front-runner to win an unprecedented fifth WNBA MVP award this season. Even after a busy All-Star weekend in Chicago, Wilson finished with 28 points against the Portland Fire for her eighth straight performance with 20 points or more.
Paige Bueckers, Guard, Dallas Wings
The 2025 Rookie of the Year has continued a promising start to her young career as an infallible scoring threat. She’s averaging 20.9 points, 6.2 assists and 4.2 rebounds while shooting 51.3% from the field and 39.7% from 3. She’s scored at least 20 points in 16 of her 25 appearances this season as the Wings sit at No. 4 in the league’s standings.
Olivia Miles, Guard, Minnesota Lynx
We’re running out of words to describe Miles’ impressive rookie season. She’s averaging 19.5 points, 6.0 assists, 4.8 rebounds and 1.3 steals over 27 appearances so far. In her first game after the All-Star break, she led the Lynx in scoring with 24 points while recording a game-high eight assists. Miles has finished with at least 20 points in 12 games this season, four of them in her last seven appearances.
Breanna Stewart, Forward, New York Liberty
Stewart, a two-time MVP, is averaging 21.4 points, 8.4 rebounds, 3.1 assists, 1.3 steals, and 1.5 blocks per game this season. Those numbers aren’t far from the season she had when she won the award for the first time in 2018. If the Liberty star continues her current level of play, she’ll certainly be in the conversation for the award again. In Tuesday’s win over the Sparks, she recorded 29 points, seven assists, four rebounds, four steals and three blocks. She’s notched at least three stocks (steals + blocks) in five of her last six games.
Aliyah Boston, Center, Indiana Fever
Although Boston exited the Fever’s Tuesday win over the Storm with a scary knee injury, the 24-year-old’s season so far has been one for the books. She’s averaging a career-high 17.3 points, 8.5 rebounds and 2.8 assists per game this season, while shooting a career-high 46.9% from the 3-point line.
Second Team All-WNBA
Caitlin Clark, Guard, Indiana Fever
As she deals with a back injury, Clark is in the midst of the best season of her three-year career. The 2024 No. 1 pick is averaging a career-high 21.4 points along with 7.9 assists and 3.8 rebounds over 32.8 minutes in 24 games. Her stat line of 32 points, four rebounds and seven assists in Tuesday’s game marked her fourth game with at least 30 points this season. Clark set a new career-high of 45 points earlier this season, also against the Storm. She’s the league’s third leading scorer this season – only behind Wilson and her own teammate, Kelsey Mitchell.
Jessica Shepard, Forward, Dallas Wings
A first-time All-Star this season, Shepard could also earn All-WNBA distinction and Most Improved Player. The 29-year-old’s 18 points, 15 rebounds, 10 assists and one steal during Wednesday’s 101-97 win over the Fire marked her second triple-double of the month and fourth of the season. She’s been a consistent rebounder all year, recording double-digit rebounds in seven straight games and 19 total times in 2026. Over 27 games in her first season with the Wings, she’s averaging 14.9 points, 12.0 rebounds and 5.4 assists while shooting 59.7% from the field.
Rhyne Howard, Guard, Atlanta Dream
Howard finished third in the 3-point contest during WNBA All-Star weekend, but she’s No. 2 in the league with 3-pointers made per game (3.2). The Dream won four of their last five games before the break, which they couldn’t have done without Howard, who is averaging 17.6 points, 3.9 rebounds, 3.4 assists and a league-leading 2.4 steals per game.
Kelsey Mitchell, Guard, Indiana Fever
The league’s No. 2 scorer, Mitchell has been an offensive powerhouse this season. In 12 straight games this season and 20 overall, she’s finished with at least 20 points. She’s averaging 23.5 points, 2.7 assists, 1.7 rebounds and 1.0 steals across 28 games.
Angel Reese, Forward, Atlanta Dream
Fresh off her third All-Star appearance in as many years, Reese recorded 22 points, 12 rebounds, four assists and four steals in the Dream’s Wednesday win over the Wings. It was her 12th game with at least 15 points and 10 rebounds this season, which is second only behind A’ja Wilson’s 13 such games. Over 25 appearances this season, Reese is averaging 15.4 points, 11.5 rebounds, 2.4 assists and 1.7 steals in 30.4 minutes.
All-Rookie team
Olivia Miles, Guard, Minnesota Lynx
As the Rookie of the Year front-runner, Miles is an obvious selection to lead the All-Rookie team.
Azzi Fudd, Guard, Dallas Wings
Fudd etched herself into the league’s record books as she became the first rookie to win the 3-point contest during the All-Star break of a solid first year in the league. The No. 1 pick is averaging 13.2 points per game and has found her fit as a starter on a contending team.
Flau’Jae Johnson, Guard, Seattle Storm
A bright spot amid the Storm’s struggles, the eighth overall pick is averaging 19.8 points, 4.4 rebounds, 3.4 assists and 2.0 steals over her last five games. Overall, she’s averaging 13.8 points, 5.2 rebounds, 2.9 assists and 1.3 steals in 28.4 minutes per game over 30 appearances this year.
Laura Juskaite, Forward, Toronto Tempo
The undrafted international prospect has started in the Tempo’s last six games with 19 starts overall. The 28-year-old reached a career-high 25 points on July 10 against the Wings and is averaging 9.5 points, 3.8 rebounds, 1.6 assists and 1.3 steals in 23.9 minutes per game.
Awa Fam, Center, Seattle Storm
Despite the loss on Tuesday, the No. 3 pick scored in double figures for the fourth time over the past five games. Since making her debut on June 23, Fam has averaged 11.8 points, 6.2 rebounds, 2.5 assists and 1.2 blocks in 31.1 minutes per game over 20 games.
Honorable mentions: Sydney Taylor, Chicago Sky; Jovana Nogić, Phoenix Mercury; Maria Conde, Toronto Tempo; Emma Čechová, Minnesota Lynx; Pauline Astier, New York Liberty.