Cooper Weatherspoon finalize 2026 WNBA All-Star rosters

The rosters for the 2026 WNBA All-Star Game were set on July 15, as Hall of Famers Cynthia Cooper and Teresa Weatherspoon drafted the two teams in a new format that split up star pairings and created unique matchups for the July 25 exhibition in Chicago.

Previously, the top two fan vote-getters served as team captains. This year, those players-Dallas Wings guard Paige Bueckers and Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark-were assigned to opposing teams via a coin flip. Cooper won the toss, securing Bueckers for her "Team Coop," while Clark was placed on Weatherspoon's "Team Spoon." As compensation, Weatherspoon received the first overall selection in the draft and used it to select Las Vegas Aces forward A'ja Wilson, the league's current scoring leader and a four-time MVP.

Cooper then selected two-time MVP Breanna Stewart of the New York Liberty, setting the stage for a high-profile pairing of Bueckers and Stewart against Clark and Wilson. The draft continued to scramble regular-season teammates. Clark will play alongside her Fever teammate Aliyah Boston on Team Spoon, while another Fever starter, Kelsey Mitchell, was drafted by Cooper. Atlanta Dream forward Angel Reese was Cooper's...