DHJ Quick Take: Paige Bueckers, Jessica Shepard Named 2026 WNBA All-Star Starters
The Wings will have multiple All-Star starters for the first time since 2023 after the league tabbed Paige Bueckers and Jessica Shepard for the 10-player starting lineup ahead of the July 25 game in Chicago.
- Who was named? Bueckers earned her second straight All-Star start, and Shepard made her first All-Star team in six WNBA seasons.
- How did they qualify? A weighted mix of fan, player and media voting determined the 10 starters, with Bueckers leading all players in fan votes at 1,045,051.
- Why does it matter? It’s the first time since 2023 the Wings have had multiple All-Star starters, and both players are having career years.
- What’s next? The 12 reserves will be announced July 7, with the All-Star Game set for July 25 at 7:30 p.m. CT on ABC.
ARLINGTON, Texas — The Dallas Wings will have two All-Star starters for the first time since 2023 after the WNBA tabbed Paige Bueckers and Jessica Shepard for the 10-player starting lineup Thursday.
It’s the second straight All-Star start for Bueckers, who topped every player in the league in fan balloting with 1,045,051 votes. For Shepard, it’s her first All-Star nod after six seasons in the league.
This year’s All-Star Game is scheduled for July 25 at Chicago’s United Center, airing on ABC at 7:30 p.m. CT.
The 10 starters were determined through a weighted combination of fan, player and media voting. Fans made up half the formula, with a media panel and the league’s players each contributing a quarter. Players and media members filled out ballots naming four guards and six frontcourt players.
Paige Bueckers Paces the Guard Ballot
Beyond the fan-vote lead, Bueckers topped her fellow players’ guard rankings outright and finished second among media voters at the position.
The reigning Rookie of the Year has anchored Dallas’s offense all season, putting up 19.9 points, 3.8 rebounds and 5.9 assists a night. She paces the Wings in scoring, assists, makes (7.7 per game) and minutes (33.1), and sits eighth in the WNBA in scoring, seventh in assists and fourth in total field goals made with 139.
A June 22 win at Seattle carried extra weight: Bueckers reached 1,000 career points in just 52 games, tying Elena Delle Donne for the fourth-fastest climb in league history, and got there faster than anyone else who’s also hit 250 assists over the same stretch.
She set a career high with 14 assists on June 5 against the Los Angeles Sparks, tying the franchise’s single-game assists mark, and paired it with 18 points — the third time in her career she’s cleared 15 points and 10 assists in the same game. She’s scored 20-plus points in 10 games this season, tied for the fourth-most leaguewide, and has strung together three straight 25-point outings, the longest active run in the WNBA.
Jessica Shepard Breaks Through in Year Six
No other veteran is making her All-Star debut as a starter this season. Shepard, a Notre Dame product who joined Dallas as a free agent over the winter, landed third in both the players’ and media’s frontcourt rankings and pulled the fourth-most fan votes among frontcourt players.
Everything is trending up for Shepard in her first year with the Wings: career-best marks of 14.3 points, 11.5 rebounds and 5.4 assists per game. She ranks second in the league in rebounding and sixth in shooting at 58.8%, a step up from a season ago, when she led the WNBA in field-goal percentage. Her assist number ranks 13th league-wide, one of just two forwards inside the top 35, and she’s one of only two players in the WNBA averaging a double-double this season.
She’s also the only player in the league with a triple-double in 2026 — she has two of them. The first came May 20 at Chicago (18 points, 10 rebounds, 12 assists); the second, a 22-point, 20-rebound, 10-assist night against the Las Vegas Aces on May 28, made her the only player in WNBA history to reach that specific stat line. The 20 boards rank second in franchise history, and the 12 assists against the Sky rank fourth. Her three career triple-doubles are tied for third-most in league history, and her 11 double-doubles this season rank second in the WNBA.
Azzi Fudd Was Close
Wings rookie guard Azzi Fudd wasn’t far behind. She drew the fourth-most fan votes among guards and finished 10th overall at the position by weighted score, close but not quite enough for a starting spot in her first pro season.
Looking Ahead
Coaches now take over the process, selecting the 12 reserves. Each of the league’s 15 head coaches submits a ballot with three guards, five frontcourt players and four wild-card spots, regardless of conference, and none can vote for a player on their own roster. Those selections are due out July 7. Should a chosen player be unable to play, Commissioner Cathy Engelbert will appoint a replacement.
Dallas’s two starters mark the fourth time since 2016 the franchise has sent multiple players to the All-Star Game.
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