Kayla McBride’s All-Star Snub
Kayla McBride is currently among the top 10 scorers in the WNBA, averaging 18.2 points per game with a shooting percentage of 39.8. As the second leading scorer on the Minnesota Lynx, who have the best record in the league, she’s not just an offensive asset but also a solid defender.
It’s a bit shocking, then, that she didn’t make the All-Star Reserve list this season, particularly since the league had the opportunity to put her on Injury Reserve recently.
Throughout her career, McBride has been named an All-Star five times, and she achieved this honor in the last two seasons with the Lynx. This season, however, her teammates Natasha Howard, Olivia Miles, and Courtney Williams will all participate in the All-Star Game, leaving McBride out. Each of them certainly has a strong case, especially since Howard and Miles were named starters, but it still feels a bit unfair to overlook McBride, especially at the age of 34.
One reason she’s been recognized as an All-Star in the past is due to her recent scoring surge. From July 3 to July 20, she led the Lynx in scoring for eight consecutive games and earned the title of Western Conference Player of the Week last week. Unfortunately, her peak performance came just after the fan and media voting ended, and before coaches selected the reserves.
The starters for this year’s All-Star Game include Kaitlyn Clark (IND), Paige Backers (DAL), Aja Wilson (LVA), Brianna Stewart (NYL), Olivia Miles (MIN), Kelsey Mitchell (IND), Aliyah Boston (IND), Natasha Howard (MIN), Jessica Shepherd (DAL), and Gabby Williams (GSV).
On the reserves list, you’ll find Ryne Howard (ATL), Angel Reese (ATL), Alisha Gray (ATL), Marina Mabry (TOR), Jonquel Jones (NYL), Dominic Malonga (SEA), Courtney Williams (MIN), Kelsey Plumb (LAS), Kiki Iriafen (WAS), Jackie Young (LVA), Nneka Ogwumike (LAS), and Sonia Citron (WAS).
Yet again, the league had a shot to recognize McBride but missed the opportunity.
Replacing Kelsey Plumb
In an interesting turn of events, Kelsey Plumb of the Los Angeles Sparks is sidelined due to a foot injury. The WNBA announced that Phoenix Mercury guard Karlea Copper will step in for her.
Copper has had a decent season, ranking as the seventh-leading scorer in the league with an average of 20.5 points per game. Despite starting slowly, her efficiency has improved this year. Still, her shooting percentages—42.8 from the field and 27.5 from three-point range—fall short of McBride’s impressive 45.8 and 39.8, respectively.
What’s more, Copper’s Mercury team currently sits at 10-18 and is out of playoff contention, while the Lynx boast a record of 22-6 with a league-best point differential of +8.7. Given these numbers, it’s hard to understand why Copper was chosen over McBride when comparing their overall contributions and effects on team success.
McBride isn’t alone in facing this type of exclusion; players like Karla Leite, Natisha Heedeman, Shakira Austin, and Alyssa Thomas have also delivered solid performances this season.
“Mac really helped us,” Nafeesa Collier remarked. “Her energy resonated with me… She’s a huge inspiration for wanting to get back on the court—seeing how much fun she’s having makes me want to be out there too.”
If there’s any need for a replacement among the injured All-Stars, McBride seems to be the logical choice. But if that doesn’t happen, she can look forward to a well-earned break after a strong start to the season.
