At a time when there’s so much controversy surrounding the WNBA, you should expect it would be Aces star vs. Aces star in the All-Star Game.
Four-time MVP A’ja Wilson and guard Jackie Young will represent the Las Vegas Aces in the All-Star Game on Saturday at the United Center in Chicago.
Young earned a reserve selection for her fifth consecutive All-Star appearance, while Wilson was named to her eighth All-Star Game and voted a starter for the seventh time.
This year, however, there will be a twist: The longtime teammates will be on opposite sides of the court after being selected by different captains during the All-Star Draft.
Wilson was chosen with the No. 1 overall pick by Teresa Weatherspoon for “Team Spoon,” while Young was drafted by Hall of Famer Cynthia Cooper for “Team Coop.”
All this while the league is grappling with lax officiating, controversies surrounding Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark and internet harassment of players.
Despite the format change, Wilson said she is excited for Young to have the opportunity to compete in the event after earning another All-Star selection.
“Jackie and I were on different teams, I think the last time we were in Chicago,” Wilson said. “I’m proud that she’s an All-Star this year.
“She deserves it. She worked her butt off. So we’re just going to go there and have some fun.”
Another storyline surrounding Las Vegas is that Aces coach Becky Hammon will be tasked with preparing against Wilson rather than coaching her.
Hammon was selected to coach in her third All-Star Game after the Aces finished play on July 10 tied with Cheryl Reeve and the Minnesota Lynx for the league’s best record at 16-6.
The tiebreaker was determined by Las Vegas’ victory over Minnesota in their lone head-to-head matchup during the Commissioner’s Cup, giving Hammon the top coaching position.
As a result, Hammon was assigned the team featuring the leading fan vote-getter, Paige Bueckers (Team Coop), while Reeve was assigned the team featuring Caitlin Clark (Team Spoon), who was second in voting.
“It’s always special being a part of All-Star weekend,” Hammon said. “It’s always fun being around the greatest players in the world, and there’ll be a lot of them in Chicago that weekend.”
Aces guard Chelsea Gray narrowly missed her seventh All-Star selection and first since 2024 after earning a spot in six of seven All-Star Games from 2017-24. The only exception came in 2022, when she averaged nearly 14 points per game but was not selected.
This marks just the second time since the franchise moved to Las Vegas that the Aces have had two or fewer All-Star selections. From 2021-24, the team had four selections in each season. With the league on its way to expanding to 20 teams, this might be the new normal.
Alongside Wilson and Young, “Team Coop” will feature players such as Breanna Stewart, Kelsey Mitchell and Angel Reese, while “Team Spoon” will include Clark, Olivia Miles, Courtney Williams and Aliyah Boston.
WNBA All-Star Game
Where: United Center, Chicago.
When: 5:30 p.m.
TV: ABC.
Streaming: Disney+
