Angel Reese headlines notable omissions from 2026 WNBA All-Star starting lineup originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
The 2026 WNBA All-Star starters have officially been revealed, and while the Indiana Fever celebrated a historic day with three starters, another championship contender was left with a surprising distinction.
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Despite entering the All-Star break with a 12-7 record and sitting near the top of the WNBA standings, the Atlanta Dream did not have a single player voted into the starting lineup. Angel Reese, Rhyne Howard and Allisha Gray all narrowly missed earning starting spots, making Atlanta arguably the biggest team absent from the All-Star first five.
Angel Reese, Dream stars fall just short of starting nods
The WNBA announced its 10 All-Star starters on Thursday, with the lineup featuring:
That group left several deserving players on the outside looking in, most notably Atlanta’s trio of Reese, Howard and Gray.
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According to the league’s weighted voting system, Howard finished 11th overall, Reese 12th and Gray 13th—making them the first three players to miss out on starting honors. The All-Star starters were determined through a combination of fan voting (50%), current WNBA players (25%) and a media panel (25%).
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Voting breakdown tells the story
The voting results suggest Atlanta’s omissions weren’t the result of one particular voting group. Howard drew strong support from those around the league, finishing second among guards in the player vote and fourth among media members. However, she ranked only ninth in fan voting, which ultimately hurt her overall standing.
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Gray’s voting was relatively balanced across the board. She placed seventh among fans, eighth with the media and sixth among players. Reese’s results were remarkably consistent. She ranked sixth among forwards in all three voting groups—fans, media and players—placing just outside the number needed to earn a starting spot.
Because only four guard positions and six frontcourt spots were available, several deserving candidates inevitably missed the cut despite strong resumes.
Dream still expected to have multiple All-Stars
Although Atlanta was shut out of the starting lineup, that doesn’t mean the Dream won’t be well represented at All-Star Weekend. Reese, Howard and Gray are all widely expected to be selected as reserves when the league announces the remainder of the All-Star roster.
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The Dream have been one of the WNBA’s biggest success stories this season, using a balanced roster to climb near the top of the standings. Reese has continued to establish herself as one of the league’s premier forwards, while Howard and Gray have provided consistent production in the backcourt.
With the 2026 WNBA All-Star Game set for July 25 at Chicago‘s United Center, Atlanta still appears poised to send multiple representatives—even if none will enter the game as starters.
