The 2024 WNBA All-Star Game is rapidly approaching and a new era of stars is officially arriving. While many of the All-Stars named to Team USA or Team WNBA are mainstays, several players are in the process of cementing their names as stars on the rise.
In 2024, two players will even become All-Stars in the WNBA for the first time ever—and they just so happen to be rookies.
The All-Star rosters are incredibly star-studded, with multi-time MVPs A'ja Wilson and Breanna Stewart leading Team USA. Across the court will be an intriguing mix of veterans, prime-year stars, and players looking to make a name for themselves.
Led by former MVP Nneka Ogwumike and six-time All-Star DeWanna Bonner, Team WNBA will aim to upset one of the most star-studded teams in recent history.
Joining Bonner and Ogwumike will be the likes of Aliyah Boston, Jonquel Jones, and Kayla McBride. Those names alone show the balance of the team in terms of structure and experience, while Arike Ogunbowale, a former All-Star Game MVP, brings a different type of history to the team.
Beyond the names who are recognized as multi-time All-Stars are two players who had never been selected before 2024—and likely have many more appearances in their future.
Caitlin Clark, Indiana Fever
All eyes will be on Caitlin Clark at the 2024 WNBA All-Star Game. The all-time leading scorer in NCAA Division I history arrived at the highest level with mountains of hype behind her and the pressure to justify every ounce of it.
After a challenging start to the 2024 WNBA season, Clark has managed to do exactly that, thus earning her place as an All-Star during her rookie season.
The Indiana Fever began the 2024 season at 1-8, with Clark struggling mightily along the way. The Fever have since gone 10-6, however, with their high-profile rookie playing a starring role as a scorer and facilitator alongside fellow All-Stars Boston and Kelsey Mitchell.
Clark currently leads the WNBA in assists per game at 7.8, ranks fourth in three-point field goals made per outing at 2.8, and is within the top 15 in scoring at 16.8 points per contest.
There have certainly been difficult stretches for Clark, but she's coming into her own as one of the most productive players in the league. Over the past eight games, she's averaged 18.1 points, 11.0 assists, 6.6 rebounds, 1.9 steals, and 2.9 three-point field goals made per appearance.
Expect every member of Team USA to be up to the task of defending Clark at her first All-Star Game. Expect Clark to answer the call.
Angel Reese, Chicago Sky
Joining Clark as a first-time All-Star is the on-court rival to whom she'll likely be perpetually linked throughout their careers: Angel Reese. The Chicago Sky rookie has been a walking double-double since debuting in the WNBA, helping her team rebound from a slow start to the season.
Reese will now head to the All-Star Game for a chance to compete with some of the best frontcourt players on the planet—and the spotlight will be shining directly on her.
Reese recently concluded a streak in which she went a record-setting 15 consecutive games with a double-double. That includes the 25 points and 16 rebounds she posted against the Indiana Fever, and the 27 points and 10 rebounds she recorded against the Seattle Storm.
Reese currently leads the WNBA in rebounding at 12.0 per game, and is 10th in the league in steals at 1.5 per game.
With Reese stepping up, Chicago has recovered from a 4-9 start by going 5-5 over the past 10 games. In terms of how valuable she's been to that success, Reese is second on the Sky in minutes as a rookie, and is pulling down more offensive rebounds than anyone in the league—by 1.5 per game.
Many are of the belief that the future of the WNBA rests with Clark and Reese, and their sensational rookie seasons have them heading to the All-Star Game to prove it.