The 2026 WNBA All-Star Game is set to be a perfect ode to the league’s 30th anniversary celebration. To make the affair special, the league has shifted from its traditional rules to select Hall of Famers Cynthia Cooper and Teresa Weatherspoon as the general managers. However, WNBA analyst Zena Keita isn’t sure how this will pan out.

“I’m curious as to how this general manager construction, remember Cynthia Cooper and Teresa Weatherspoon, will be the GMs putting these teams together. So, very curious as to how all of this is going to happen,” she said on the No Offseason on July 9.

A few days ago, Cooper stoked anticipation for the game. She sent her fellow peer, Weatherspoon, a message to showcase her competitiveness for the event.

“Hey guys, I’m so excited to be the GM of this year’s All-Star team,” Cooper said, as per Sports on Prime. “Team Coop vs. Team Weatherspoon. Now, normally I wouldn’t have a problem, which is to wear my jacket. But against T-Spoon, I might have to bring out the jersey.”

In the last few seasons, the team captains were selected by vote. The two leading vote-getters in the All-Star voting were selected for this position. For instance, Napheesa Collier and Caitlin Clark got the most votes last year and headed their respective teams.

However, to commemorate the league’s legacy, the WNBA has made an honorary change to this format. Cooper, a three-time All-Star, and Weatherspoon, a five-time All-Star, will headline their respective teams in the game. As per these new rules, Weatherspoon and Cooper will be responsible for drafting their respective teams.

22 players, including starters and reserves, have already been selected through voting. However, any additional information regarding the drafting process isn’t yet available in the media domain.

Nevertheless, this shift from active players to legends taking over the All-Star Game and drafting is an entirely new domain for the league. But with two absolute legends of the game involved in the event, along with the league’s best players, the excitement around the proceedings has just skyrocketed.

However, with just a couple of weeks left in the event, time is ticking fast for the rest of the proceedings of the All-Star Game. However, there has been a major update regarding the team formation for the WNBA All-Star Game.

WNBA All-Star Game Fueled by the Inclusion of Two Veteran Coaches

“We still don’t know who our head coaches are. And it will be based on the best records as of Friday,” Keita had said on the podcast. The WNBA has announced who those head coaches will be.

Las Vegas Aces coach Becky Hammon and Minnesota Lynx coach Cheryl Reeve have been announced as the head coaches for the All-Star Game. So far, there hasn’t been any update on which coach will lead each team.

Reeve and Hammon have had one of the best records in the WNBA so far this season. With Reeve, Minnesota is currently 16-6 this season, and the Aces are also 16-6 this season under Hammon. These two coaches aren’t short of All-Star experience either.

This will be the fifth time Reeve will head an All-Star team. In fact, she was named the head coach of last year’s All-Star Game as well. On the other hand, it will be the third time Hammon has taken charge of the event. The last time she headed an All-Star team was in 2023.

With two top coaches facing off in the event, the competitiveness will spike even further. Two legends, two top coaches, and an array of dynamic players, including Caitlin Clark and A’ja Wilson, will take to the court on July 25. The event will be held at the United Center in Chicago.