WNBA All-Star Vote Troubles
More Than Half of WNBA Players Skip All-Star Starter Vote, AP Source Confirms
More than half of the WNBA's 180 players failed to submit their ballots for All-Star starters ahead of this month's game in Chicago, according to Associated Press. The revelation raises questions about how well the league runs its internal voting process.
The player vote counts for 25% of the total All-Star selection. Fans account for 50%, and a media panel covers the remaining 25%. Despite the low player participation, the league still announced its All-Star starters on Thursday.
Los Angeles Sparks Among Teams That Failed to Vote
The Los Angeles Sparks were one of the teams that did not have all of their players submit ballots, according to Associated Press. The source described the issue as operational errors. It is not clear how many teams were affected or how many total ballots went uncast.
With 180 players in the league, more than 90 did not vote. That is a significant gap in a process where the player vote is meant to reflect peer recognition. The errors were not caught before the deadline passed.
Sabrina Ionescu Says New York Liberty Never Had This Problem
New York Liberty guard Sabrina Ionescu pushed back on the idea that missing the vote is normal. She said her team has never had an issue getting players to submit their ballots. Her comments suggest the problem was not league-wide, but specific to certain teams or their staff.
Ionescu is one of the WNBA's biggest stars and a vocal leader in the players' union. Her statement points to a gap between how different teams handle the voting logistics. Some teams clearly have better internal systems than others.
How the All-Star Voting System Actually Works
The WNBA uses a three-part system to pick All-Star starters. Fan votes carry the most weight at 50%. Players vote for their peers at 25%, and a media panel adds the final 25%. Missing player votes can shift the outcome, even if fans and media still weigh in.
Because the player share is just a quarter of the total, the final results may not look dramatically different. But the process itself looks broken when more than half the players don't participate. The league has not said whether it will change how it collects ballots.
All-Star Game Set for Chicago Despite Voting Controversy
The WNBA pressed forward and announced its All-Star starters on Thursday despite the voting problems. The game is scheduled to be held in Chicago this month. The league has not publicly addressed how the missed ballots may have affected the final selections.
The Chicago All-Star game is one of the league's marquee events of the season. With the WNBA seeing record growth in 2024 and 2025, the voting controversy is an unwanted distraction. Fans and players will likely push for a more reliable system before next year's game.
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