A’ja Wilson goes No. 1 as Cooper, Weatherspoon draft WNBA All-Stars

A’ja Wilson went No. 1 when Cynthia Cooper and Teresa Weatherspoon drafted the 2026 WNBA All-Star teams on July 15, a selection that put one of the league’s most established stars at the center of the night’s biggest reveal. ESPN carried the draft from 3:30 to 4 p.m. ET, with Malika Andrews hosting as the league turned roster picking into a national showcase.

Cooper and Weatherspoon served as honorary general managers for the draft, and their presence gave the event a direct line to the WNBA’s early identity. ESPN’s draft-related social posts described Cooper as “the superstar of early WNBA basketball” and Weatherspoon as a five-time All-Star and two-time Defensive Player of the Year, framing the pair as both historical anchors and symbolic team-builders for a league still leaning on its legends to sell the moment. USA TODAY said the All-Star teams were part of the WNBA’s 30th season celebration.

Wilson’s first pick also reinforced where she sits in the league’s current hierarchy. ESPN noted that she earned her seventh All-Star starting nod in her eighth All-Star appearance, a resume that matches the way she has become a recurring centerpiece of WNBA coverage. The final rosters also placed Caitlin Clark and Wilson on the same team, adding another layer to a draft already loaded with star power and the kind of lineup combinations that drive fan conversation well beyond the arena.

That conversation has become a core part of the event itself. ESPN said All-Star selections continue to generate debate after the reserves are revealed, and this year’s draft kept that familiar tension in place as the league’s biggest names were ordered and reordered in public view. The format gives the WNBA a clean way to package its top players as personalities, not just statistics, with every pick inviting questions about status, fit and respect among peers.

The teams will meet again in the All-Star Game on July 25 at 8:30 p.m. ET on ABC at the United Center in Chicago. By then, Wilson’s No. 1 selection, the Cooper-Weatherspoon captaincy and the Clark-Wilson pairing will already have set the terms for how the league’s marquee weekend is being discussed.