At this point, we know plenty of the names that are almost certain to be selected for this year’s All-Star Game in Chicago. That list likely will include Paige Bueckers, Angel Reese, Caitlin Clark, Breanna Stewart and, of course, A’ja Wilson.
Those five aforementioned names are firmly established as among the WNBA’s marquee players. There are several first-year stars that are in the process of doing the exact same.
At last year’s All-Star festivities in Indianapolis, three from that season’s rookie class earned All-Star roster spots. Those three were Bueckers along with two from the Washington Mystics in Sonia Citron and Kiki Iriafen.
There are plenty of names among this year’s rookie class that are more than deserving of showcasing their talents at the United Center next month.
Olivia Miles
Miles has been one of the biggest stories of the 2026 WNBA season. The second overall draft selection of the Minnesota Lynx has more than proved that she belongs on a WNBA roster and that she will have a long and achievement-filled W career.
At the outset of this season, it was yet to be seen how good coach Cheryl Reeve’s Lynx would be as Minnesota would play much of the early portions of said season sans Napheesa Collier.
As of this writing, the Lynx are 13-4 and atop the WNBA standings. As we inch towards the halfway point of the 2026 season, Miles appears to be the odds-on-favorite to win Rookie of the Year.
Azzi Fudd
As the number one overall draft pick, there was a lot of attention placed on UConn’s very own.
At first, it took time for her to find her footing but that has certainly happened. When the WNBA released its first vote totals, there were two rookies in the top 11. Miles was one and Fudd was the other.
Fudd’s Dallas Wings are 10-6 and would be the fifth seed if the playoffs were to begin today. She has averaged 12.7 points per game.
Gabriela Jaquez
Jaquez turned out to be the final of the five lottery picks in this season’s draft. It was a surprising choice by Chicago to select Jaquez over a Flau’jae Johnson, but the move has paid dividends for the Sky.
Chicago would ideally want as much representation from its team as possible throughout All-Star weekend. Jaquez has proven herself to be a solid professional playmaker not only on the offensive side of the floor but on defense as well.
Jaquez has averaged 10.6 points and 4.6 rebounds per game. The 2026 season has seen more lowlights than highlights for the Sky, but UCLA’s very own has been an exception to the rule.
Sydney Taylor
Another exception to that rule among rookies has been Taylor. Louisville has been known to send many of its players to the W and that was once again the case when Taylor got drafted.
It may not have shown up in the Sky’s record, but Taylor has proven herself to be more than worthy of being on a WNBA roster. She has averaged 11.2 points per contest.
One can debate her “rookie” status considering she played for a pair of overseas teams after her career in Louisville concluded prior to arriving with the Sky. One debate appears to have been settled – if Taylor would be a valuable addition to a W roster.
Flau’jae Johnson
When the Golden State Valkyries decided to trade Johnson to the Seattle Storm, it was seen as a controversial move on the part of Valks general manager Ohemaa Nyanin.
Since then, the Valkyries are one of six teams that are currently in double digits for wins. The Storm have not had the same fortunes as Seattle has dropped 10 consecutive games as of this writing. That, though, is not the fault of Johnson.
She has averaged 11.4 points, 4.9 rebounds and 2.3 assists per contest. The Storm are currently 3-14.
Sixth Woman – Kiki Rice
The only reason as to why we have Rice listed as our sixth woman is because she recently suffered a Grade 2 sprain in her left ankle and there is no immediate timetable for her to return to the 8-8 Toronto Tempo.
Then again, that did not prevent fans from voting for Rickea Jackson to All-Star. She received nearly 40,000 votes in the WNBA’s first released batch of results despite being sidelined for the remainder of the 2026 season with a torn ACL.
What happened to Rice was a shame because she was putting up solid numbers in her rookie season with the Tempo. She averaged 12.7 points, 4.7 rebounds and 2.6 assists per contest.
