Instead of the usual Skills Challenge, the 2026 WNBA All-Star weekend in Chicago will feature a “Shooting Stars” competition with four teams made up of three generations of women’s basketball. The event, set for Friday night at 8 p.m. ET, includes retired WNBA legends, current players and top high school players from Nike EYBL.Four legends will help the WNBA celebrate its 30th anniversary in the event: two-time MVP Elena Delle Donne (representing Washington), three-time MVP Lauren Jackson (representing Seattle), five-time WNBA champion Rebekkah Brunson (representing Minnesota) and three-time WNBA champion Deanna “Tweety” Nolan (representing both Dallas and Detroit since the original Wings franchise was the Detroit Shock).
The current WNBA players joining them are Mystics center Shakira Austin, Storm guard Flau’jae Johnson, Lynx guard Courtney Williams and Wings forward Jessica Sheppard. The Nike EYBL participants have not been assigned a team yet, but they will be Jezelle “GG” Banks, Ryan Carter, Tatianna Griffin and Morghan Reckley.
Last but not least, the honorary General Managers for the All-Star Game, Cynthia Cooper and Teresa Weatherspoon, will each serve as designated passers for two teams each. Here are the rosters so far:
| Team | WNBA Legend | Current Player | Nike NYBL Player |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Minnesota |
Rebekkah Brunson |
Courtney Williams |
TBA |
|
Seattle |
Lauren Jackson |
Flau’jae Johnson |
TBA |
|
Washington |
Elena Delle Donne |
Shakira Austin |
TBA |
|
Dallas/Detroit |
Deanna “Tweety” Nolan |
Jessica Shepard |
TBA |
This event will have two rounds in which teams have 70 seconds to score as many points as possible from seven shooting locations around the court, ranging from a layup to a long-range 3-pointer. The two teams with the highest score in the first round will move on to the championship round.
Here are more details on the rules:
🌟 KIA SHOOTING STARS EXPLAINED 🌟
Take a look through the @Kia Shooting Stars format ahead of WNBA All-Star Friday Night, tomorrow at 8pm/ET on ESPN! pic.twitter.com/qy3w70yyI3
— WNBA (@WNBA) July 23, 2026
Since the Shooting Stars competition is new to the WNBA, there is no exact wording in the Collective Bargaining Agreement on how the prize money will be distributed. However, Front Office Sports reports that current players are expected to receive $7,500 for participating, and the winner will take home an additional $15,000, which is the same breakdown the CBA has for the Skills Challenge. The WNBA’s 3-point contest will also take place on Friday night.
While this is the inaugural year for the WNBA Shooting Stars competition, the NBA introduced it to All-Star weekend in 2004 and ran it annually until 2015. Those original teams included one current NBA player, one current WNBA player and one retired NBA legend representing a specific city. The power trio of Chris Bosh, Dominique Wilkins and Swin Cash won it three consecutive years from 2013-2015. After an 11-year absence, the league brought it back during the 2026 All-Star weekend in Los Angeles. This new version featured two current NBA players and one NBA legend on each roster.
