WNBA All-Star winners and losers include Nneka Ogwumike, league commissioner

CHICAGO — The WNBA All-Star Game did not disappoint.

There was plenty of scoring, a plethora of highlights and just plain fun as Team Spoon defeated Team Coop 129-122 in front of a record-breaking audience of 19,783 at the United Center on Saturday, July 25.

“These fans pay a lot of money to get in the building, let’s not just walk around,” Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark said. “We don’t need to play 100% but let’s pick it up and have some fun for them.”

Los Angeles Sparks forward Nneka Ogwumike set a record and Seattle Storm center Dominique Malonga dunked. Both are included in our winners.

WNBA commissioner Cathy Engelbert, who was booed as she was introduced to hand the postgame hardware, is among the losers.

Here’s a look at USA TODAY Sports’ WNBA All-Star winners and losers:

Atlanta Dream forward Angel Reese arrives for the 2026 WNBA All Star Game at United Center.

Atlanta Dream forward Angel Reese arrives for the 2026 WNBA All Star Game at United Center.

Team Spoon guard Courtney Williams (10) arrives for the 2026 WNBA All Star Game at United Center.

Ogwumike is collecting accolades like infinity stones. Ogwumike tied Diana Taurasi for the second-most All-Star appearances in WNBA history with her 11th career nod. And she moved into first place all-time in WNBA All-Star scoring history with 11 points and nine rebounds on Saturday, July 25.

Ogwumike now has 127 points and passed Maya Moore who had 119 points in her All-Star career. Moore, who played in six All-Star Games in eight seasons with the Minnesota Lynx, averaged 19.8 points.

“It’s an honor being on the court with, obviously, the superstars here,” Ogwumike said.

Malonga told reporters following Friday’s All-Star practice at the Obama Presidential Center that her Storm teammate Flau’jae Johnson said she’d never talk to her again if she didn’t dunk in Saturday’s game.Malonga, a 6-foot-6 center from France, didn’t disappoint, throwing it down with 6:24 remaining in the first half.

At 20 years old, Malonga is now part of an elite group. Here are all the players who have dunked in a WNBA All-Star Game:

• Lisa Leslie (2005)

• Sylvia Fowles (2009, 2022)

• Jonquel Jones (2017)

• Brittney Griner (two in 2019 for first multi-dunk performance in WNBA All-Star game history; three dunks in 2023)

• Dominique Malonga (2026)

Brittney Griner (two in 2019 for first multi-dunk performance in WNBA All-Star game history; three dunks in 2023)

Jones has now won an MVP at every possible level in the WNBA: regular season, Commissioner’s Cup, the WNBA Finals, and the All-Star Game. That kind of level of production is unprecedented and a true testament to Jones’ relentless pursuit of greatness. Her latest feat, an All-Star MVP trophy, is one she’ll likely remember for a while. Jones captured it while playing with a heavy heart, missing a family member’s memorial service to play in the game. Jones dedicated the game to her late aunt.

After what’s been a tumultuous month or so for the league, the All-Star Game and events around it went on with little controversy. Eneglbert didn’t make any egregious missteps in her state-of-the-league press conference, the All-Star Game saw a record-high attendance, the game was competitive in spurts, and players got to hang out with former President Barack Obama. All-Star weekend felt like a real celebration for the league in its 30th season and seemed to go on without any glaring issues. After a contentious and lengthy CBA negotiation and all the noise around various incidents the league has faced this season, All-Star Weekend was a win.

Chicago hosted the WNBA All-Star Game for the second time in five seasons, but zero players from the host city’s team, the Sky, were on the roster. Former Sky forward Angel Reese — now with the Atlanta Dream — got a warm welcome from the fans before tallying five rebounds and four assists in nine minutes. The game also featured a handful of other former Sky players, including Kahleah Copper, Marina Mabrey and Gabby Williams. The Sky are 9-18 this season and the All-Star Game was just another reminder of how far the organization has fallen.

When it was time to hand out the All-Star MVP Trophy, Engelbert was met by a chorus of boos from the record-breaking crowd at the United Center. Engelbert has faced criticism from both players and fans for the league’s handling of online abuse, officiating and player relations. Engelbert didn’t do herself any favors during her annual All-Star game news conference, where she dodged questions about her job stability and league transparency.

Fans of Atlanta Dream forward Angel Reese and Indiana Fever center Aliyah Boston likely wanted to see more of their favorites. Boston was the league leader after the second return of fan votes, receiving 683,996. She only played five minutes for Team Spoon. Reese, who is so beloved that her Barbie has already sold out in Target, got nine minutes on the court. Both went scoreless.

It’s possible that fatigue or precaution could have played a role. WNBA All-Star isn’t much of a break for players, who were swamped with off-the-court obligations for sponsors and other organizations during the weekend. And then it’s back to the regular-season grind. Boston and the Fever, for example, are back in action against the Seattle Storm on Tuesday, July 28.

The vibes were high riding into the Tyla’s halftime performance. She started her set coming out of one of the tunnels at the United Center and walked down the steps, serenading the audience. She then jumped right into a performance of her international hit song, “Water.” It was great – for about two minutes. Then, it went downhill fast. The visuals were good, but something about the subsequent song selections didn’t quite fit the arena and the atmosphere. It’s hard to pinpoint, but it felt like the relaxed nature of the songs took the energy down.