Aja Wilson pairs with Clark in 2026 WNBA All-Star Game
Aja Wilson is sharing the floor with Caitlin Clark on Team Spoon at the 2026 WNBA All-Star Game in Chicago, capping All-Star Weekend at the United Center. The Las Vegas Aces star starts with Clark, Olivia Miles, Aliyah Boston and Jessica Shepard as the league's 30th anniversary showcase tips on ABC. Early action already featured Clark's steal and first five points within the opening minute.
Key Takeaways
- Aja Wilson and Caitlin Clark start together on Team Spoon, selected by legend Teresa Weatherspoon.
- Team Coop, run by Cynthia Cooper-Dyke, counters with Paige Bueckers, Breanna Stewart and Kelsey Mitchell among its starters.
- Clark opened with a steal and the first five points in under a minute, topping her four-point 2024 All-Star debut pace.
- There is no four-point shot in this year's game, a change that surprised captains Clark and Bueckers in a pregame interview.
- The 2026 showcase marks the WNBA's 30th anniversary and airs from Chicago's United Center on ABC.
Where is Aja Wilson playing in the All-Star Game?
Wilson is a starter for Team Spoon opposite Team Coop at the United Center on Saturday night. According to CBS Sports, her Spoon starting five pairs her with Clark, Miles, Boston and Shepard under coach Cheryl Reeve.
Team Coop starts Bueckers, Stewart, Mitchell, Natasha Howard and Gabby Williams, with Becky Hammon on the sideline. The format celebrates the league's 30th anniversary with legends building the sides rather than a straight conference matchup.
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Why are the All-Star teams called Spoon and Coop?
The nicknames honor two WNBA legends guiding the rosters. Yahoo Sports reports the sides are named for Teresa Weatherspoon and Cynthia Cooper-Dyke, who are leading Team Spoon and Team Coop.
Last season, All-Star teams were tagged after top vote-getters such as Wilson and Clark. This year the league shifted to a legend captain and coach model that feels closer to a pickup-style game used across both the NBA and WNBA All-Star events.
How did the early All-Star action unfold?
CBS Sports' live blog says Team Spoon captain Clark wasted little time, recording a steal and the first five points within the first minute. That already put her past the four points she scored in her 2024 All-Star debut.
Before tip-off, Clark and Bueckers learned there would be no four-point shots this year. Clark joked that things had not started well and that she no longer knew what to do all night, while Bueckers quipped about where she would shoot after making a four-pointer in her debut last year.
On the arrivals tunnel, Wilson leaned into pink to celebrate the pink colorway for her A'Twos sneakers, while Angel Reese arrived in pink for her Barbie collaboration tied to All-Star Weekend. Friday's events also saw Team Washington win Shooting Stars and No. 1 overall pick Azzi Fudd take the 3-Point Contest.