By Dorothy J. Gentry
Sports Editor
The 17th annual AT&T WNBA All-Star Game 2021 is set for July 14th in Las Vegas the league announced this week. It will be broadcast live by ESPN at 7 p.m. E.T.
Michelob ULTRA Arena at Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino in Las Vegas will showcase the WNBA’s biggest and brightest stars. In a new format the WNBA’s top talent squares off against one another in a clash between the All-Stars voted-in from the USA Basketball Women’s National Team versus the remaining WNBA All-Stars voted-in as part of a combination of fan, player, media, and coach voting.
The All-Star Game will also serve as a send-off of WNBA players who are competing in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.
As part of the league’s 25th season celebrations, the WNBA will also honor the gold-medal winning 1996 U.S. Olympic Women’s Basketball Team with a special presentation during the game highlighting the impact the team had on women’s sports and the role it played in launching the WNBA.
Voting for All-Star game began on Tuesday and runs through Sunday, June 27 at 11:59 p.m. ET. Fans can vote for up to ten (four backcourt players and six front court players) of the WNBA’s top stars at WNBA.com/vote and the WNBA App. All current WNBA players will be eligible for selection. Two “2-for-1 Days” will allow fans to have their votes count twice on Sunday, June 20 and Sunday, June 27 through WNBA.com/vote and the WNBA App voting platforms. All “2-for-1 Days” will be designated from midnight ET – 11:59 p.m. ET.
The selection of the All-Stars will be conducted through a combination of voting by fans (50 percent of the vote), current WNBA players (25 percent) and a national panel of sportswriters and broadcasters (25 percent). The All-Star 2021 rosters will be announced on Wednesday, June 30.
The top 36 vote-getters (which will comprise at least 9 backcourt 15 frontcourt players) from that voting process who are not members of the USA Basketball 5×5 roster, will then be provided to WNBA Head Coaches who will determine from that list, the 12 players who will play for the Team WNBA All-Stars versus the USA Basketball Women’s National Team. Coaches will not be able to vote for their own players.
How fans can vote:
- WNBA.com voting page at wnba.com/vote: Fill out one full ballot per day on WNBA.com/vote from a desktop or mobile browser. Fans can select up to four guards and six frontcourt players from across the entire WNBA.
- WNBA App: Access the ballot through both the “Latest” and “More” tabs on the WNBA App, which is available on Android and iOS. Fans can fill out one full ballot per day by selecting up to four guards and six frontcourt players from across the entire WNBA.
Starters for AT&T WNBA All-Star 2021 will be determined by the respective head coaches of the USA Basketball Women’s National Team and Team WNBA.
As previously announced, the USA Basketball Women’s National Team will hold training camp in Las Vegas in July. If a player for the USA Basketball Women’s National Team is unable to participate in the All-Star game, USA Basketball will appoint a replacement. Should a member of Team WNBA be unable to play for any reason, WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert will name a replacement.
More information on the All-Star game including ticket purchases will be announced soon.
