Yahoo Sports Breaks Down 2026 WNBA All-Star Frontcourt Ballot on Hoops 360

Q: Why did a leading MVP candidate and the league's top rebounder get left off this WNBA All-Star ballot?

The “top rebounder” left off this specific ballot was Angel Reese, and the reason appears to be ballot competition rather than an oversight about her production. Cassandra Negley had only six frontcourt spots and used them on A’ja Wilson, Breanna Stewart, Jessica Shepard, Natasha Howard, Aliyah Boston and Jonquel Jones. In the Yahoo Sports discussion, she described the frontcourt as difficult to narrow down, suggesting Reese was squeezed out by a crowded field of established stars and players she viewed as offering stronger all-around efficiency, defense or playmaking. The “leading MVP candidate” part of the question is not supported by this ballot. Olivia Miles, who has been mentioned in early MVP conversations, was not left off at all; Negley included her among her guard selections. So the premise is partly incorrect for this particular media ballot. The broader context also matters: this was not the official WNBA ballot result, but one individual media voter’s choices. All-Star voting is shaped by position limits and subjective criteria, and Negley’s frontcourt picks leaned heavily toward players with elite two-way impact, efficiency metrics and team value. Reese’s league-leading rebounding was not enough, in her view, to displace one of those six frontcourt selections. So, on this ballot, Reese was the notable omission because of a crowded frontcourt and voter preference; the supposed MVP-candidate omission did not actually happen.

Q: An injured player made this All-Star ballot. Who got snubbed from the WNBA's most competitive position?

The injured player on Cassandra Negley’s 2026 WNBA All-Star ballot was Kelsey Plum, and the notable snub from the league’s deepest position group — guard — was Marina Mabrey. Negley included Plum despite her lower left leg injury because of how strong her season had been before she was sidelined, saying her body of work still merited All-Star consideration. That stood out because the guard pool was described as the ballot’s toughest area, with an unusually deep group of deserving candidates. In that context, Mabrey emerged as the player most likely left out despite a credible case. The reporting around Negley’s ballot and the broader All-Star discussion identified guard as the WNBA’s “most competitive position,” and Mabrey was singled out as the “biggest snub” because there were simply too many strong guard options to fit on one ballot. So the direct answer is Mabrey: Plum made the ballot while injured, and Marina Mabrey was the guard who got squeezed out.

2 articles · Updated · Yahoo Sports · Jul 2

Caroline Fenton and Cassandra Negley reviewed the frontcourt players on Negley’s 2026 WNBA All-Star ballot in a new Yahoo Sports "Hoops 360" episode.
The segment centers on ballot analysis rather than a formal league announcement, with the two discussing which frontcourt candidates made Negley’s selections.
Yahoo Sports directed listeners to the full conversation on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube and other podcast platforms.