Kayla McBride Named WNBA All-Star Again

The Minnesota Lynx forward, Kayla McBride, is set to represent the WNBA as an All-Star once more. The 33-year-old sharpshooter, with four previous All-Star appearances under her belt, was initially left off the reserve list by the coach.

However, on Tuesday, the WNBA shared that Rhyne Howard from the Atlanta Dream would step in for Commissioner Cathy Engelbert, who’s sidelined this month due to a knee injury. As a result, McBride will be joining Team Collier.

This season, McBride is averaging 14.1 points, 2.3 rebounds, and 3.1 assists per game, helping the Lynx achieve a league-best record of 19-4.

She’ll be joined by two teammates at the All-Star Game on Saturday: last year’s All-Star Nafisa Collier and point guard Courtney Williams.

Controversy Surrounding Selections

Interestingly, McBride was ultimately chosen despite some media and fan discussions about potential snubs, which included players like Britney Sykes of the Washington Mystics, Atlanta Dream’s Breonna Jones, and Azura Stevens from the Los Angeles Sparks.

While Sykes, at 31, hasn’t made the All-Star cut yet, she had a strong case this season, posting an average of 17.6 points, 4.5 assists, and 3.8 rebounds—career highs for her. Her shooting percentage of 34% is also impressive.

Breonna Jones is contributing 13.3 points, 7.8 rebounds, and just over 2 assists per game, whereas Stevens is averaging 14.7 points, 8.7 rebounds, and 1.5 steals. It’s worth mentioning that Jones is already a three-time All-Star, while 29-year-old Stevens hasn’t received that honor yet.

The complete WNBA All-Star roster features 10 starters, including:

1. Page Booker (Dallas Wings)
2. Kate Linklerk (Indiana Fever)
3. Sabrina Ionescu (New York Liberty)
4. Alicia Grey (Atlanta Dream)
5. Nafisa Collier (Minnesota Lynx)
6. A’ja Wilson (Las Vegas Aces)
7. Brenna Stewart (New York Liberty)
8. Aliya Boston (Indiana Fever)
9. Nneka Ogwumike (Seattle Storm)
10. Sato Sabury (Phoenix Mercury)

The reserves include:

1. Skylar Diggins (Seattle Storm) – 7th Choice
2. Alyssa Thomas (Phoenix Mercury) – 6th Choice
3. Kelsey Mitchell (Indiana Fever) – 3rd Choice
4. Kiki Iriafen (Washington Mystics) – 1st Choice
5. Sonia Citron (Washington Mystics) – 1st Choice
6. Rhyne Howard (Atlanta Dream) – 3rd Choice
7. Kelsey Plum (Los Angeles Sparks) – 4th Choice
8. Angel Reese (Chicago Sky) – 2nd Choice
9. Kayla Thornton (Golden State Valkyries) – 1st Choice
10. Courtney Williams (Minnesota Lynx) – 2nd Choice
11. Gabby Williams (Seattle Storm) – 1st Choice
12. Jackie Young (Las Vegas Aces) – 4th Choice
13. Kayla McBride (Minnesota Lynx) – 5th Choice