5 WNBA All-Star candidates to watch this weekend

For the five WNBA games scheduled for Friday and Saturday, here’s a look at five WNBA All-Star candidates. While they certainly are not the only worthy All-Stars who will take the court this weekend, the fivesome is deserving of closer appreciation, especially the two who should earn their first-career All-Star honors.

Edwin Garcia already got us started with an evaluation of Paige Bueckers’ All-Star candidacy. The rookie will be back in Connecticut on Friday, as her Dallas Wings take on the Connecticut Sun (7:30 p.m. ET, ION), their fellow two-win team that lacks a credible All-Star candidate. Friday’s other two contests—the Washington Mystics visiting the Atlanta Dream (7:30 p.m. ET, ION) and the Las Vegas Aces hosting the Seattle Storm (10 p.m. ET, ION)—are chock full of former, current and future All-Stars.

The same goes for Saturday’s two-game slate, when the Phoenix Mercury meet the Chicago Sky (1 p.m. ET, ABC) and the Los Angeles Sparks will challenge the Minnesota Lynx (8 p.m. ET, NBA TV), a team that, as Beckett Harrison explained, might not have another All-Star beyond Napheesa Collier, despite their sparkling record.

Note that Friday, June 20 is a Double Vote Day, where fans’ ballots count twice. Consider giving these five players—Brittney Sykes, Rhyne Howard, Gabby Williams, Satou Sabally and Kelsey Plum—a double dose of All-Star love.

Brittney Sykes (Washington Mystics)

Brittney Sykes.

Photo by Kenny Giarla/NBAE via Getty Images

A four-time All-Defense nominee, Brittney Sykes should become a first-time All-Star in 2025 due to the other side of the ball.

While she remains an event creator on defense, averaging 1.2 steals per game, she has assumed the largest offensive load of her career, owning a nearly 30 percent usage rate, meaning she’s responsible for a huge chunk of the Mystics’ offense when she is on the floor. Her offensive burden is second only to another player who will appear on this list.

Tasked with keeping afloat a Mystics’ offense that ranks 11th in offensive rating, Sykes gets the job done in a workwoman-like fashion, relentlessly putting pressure on the rim to earn repeated trips to the line. As Josh Felton has highlighted, she is a historic foul generator; she’s taken double-digit free throws in more than half of the Mystics’ 11 games. Those opportunities have powered her to a career-high scoring average of 20.5 points per game, the fifth-most in the league. And as Beckett emphasized in his analysis of the All-Star potential of the non-Phee Lynx, points per game matter. See you in Indy, Slim!

Rhyne Howard (Atlanta Dream)

Atlanta Dream v New York Liberty — Rhyne Howard.

She’s shooting 34.7 percent from the field and 30.4 percent from 3. Both marks are career lows for the two-time All-Star. Yet, Rhyne Howard might be playing the best basketball of her WNBA career.

An elite scorer capable of popping off a 40-ball, Howard’s impact on the game has been less dependent on scoring outbursts in 2025. She is contributing to winning even when she is not scoring efficiently, something that waxed and waned in previous seasons. On offense, Howard is thriving as a creator for others, showing off enhanced passing vision as she tosses a career-high 5.1 assists per game. Defensively, she consistently accepts the challenge of matching up with the opponent’s primary option, staying disciplined even as she makes defensive plays, as reflected in her 1.6 steals and one block per game. She’s also amped up her every-minute effort, evidenced by a career-best 5.3 boards per contest.

Even with all that, she’s right in line with her expected scoring output, averaging 17.3 points per game. Allisha Gray, twice named the Eastern Conference Player of the Week, has deservedly collected accolades for her All-Star-level play, but there’s also no doubt that Howard should be joining her in Indy.

Gabby Williams (Seattle Storm)

Seattle Storm v Los Angeles Sparks — Gabby Williams.

The rosters of the Storm and Aces feature eight former All-Stars. It will soon be nine, as Gabby Williams should be a guaranteed first-time All-Star.

In her seventh WNBA season, although her first full season since 2022, Williams has become the fully-realized version of herself, wedding her always elite athleticism with improved skill to become one of the most complete players in the league. Williams is posting career bests in nearly every important statistical category. On offense, it’s her scoring leap that stands out. She’s scoring more points on better efficiency, boosted by her not only blossoming into a high-volume, near 43 percent 3-point shooter but also by her refinement around the basket, where she’s finishing 73.5 percent of her shots. Always appreciated for her defense, she’s become even more dangerous, headlined by her league-leading 2.7 steals per game.

She’s a shooter. She’s a shark. And she should absolutely be an All-Star.

Satou Sabally (Phoenix Mercury)

Phoenix Mercury v Las Vegas Aces — Satou Sabally.

When Mercury assembled their new “Big 3” of Kahleah Copper, Alyssa Thomas and Satou Sabally, potential injuries to one (or more) of their stars was a concern for the perceived-to-be top-heavy team. That concern, in particular, applied to Sabally, who has only played more than 17 games once in her six-season WNBA career.

Yet, with Copper and Thomas sidelined with injuries, Sabally has emerged as Phoenix’s iron woman, logging almost 30 minutes a night as she has played in every game. Her usage rate—a by far career-high 32.1 percent—tops that of Sykes to lead the league, highlighting the Mercury’s dependence on her. Somewhat similar to both Sykes and Howard, she’s not always doing it efficiently, but she’s doing it effectively. While her 3-pointer has been off target to start the season, she’s feasted from the other areas of the floor that Phoenix’s analytically-inclined attack prioritizes: the free throw line and the paint.

Kelsey Plum (Los Angeles Sparks)

Los Angeles Sparks v Minnesota Lynx — Kelsey Plum.

Kelsey Plum’s status for the Sparks’ Saturday night game in Minnesota is uncertain. She missed LA’s last game with a leg injury, and head coach Lynne Roberts has provided little clarity about her status.

Nonetheless, Plum’s play in purple and gold already has her on track for her fourth-career All-Star selection. She’s the star-level primary scorer and creator the Sparks have needed since the departures of their 2016 championship core. Her career-high 20.9 points per game is matched by a career-high 5.6 assists per game. She’s yet another All-Star candidate who is also accumulating points at the line, all while also cashing in from long range. She’s fourth in total free throws made behind Sykes, Breanna Stewart and Sabally. Behind the arc, her 34 made 3s trails only Howard’s 38 triples. Plum’s career-best 1.7 steals per game also shows that her contributions are not limited to one side of the ball.

Her impact in LA, however, has yet to translate to wins, a blemish on her otherwise on-point All-Star resume.