South Carolina women's basketball: Allisha Gray named All-Star reserve

Former Gamecock Allisha Gray has been selected as a reserve for the 2026 WNBA All-Star Game, the WNBA announced on Tuesday.

Gray will be making her fourth consecutive All-Star appearance. In 2024, she swept the three-point shooting and skills competitions. She finished sixth overall in the voting for starters. Only the top four vote-getters became starters, so Gray had to go the reserve route.

Gray was named first-team All-WNBA last season and finished fourth in MVP voting. Her stats are down slightly this season, but prior to a five-game losing streak, she had Atlanta in the running as a championship contender. Gray is averaging 18.5 points, 3.2 rebounds, 2.1 assists, and 1.6 steals in 33.2 minutes.

The 12 All-Star reserves are selected by the league’s coaches. Each of the 15 head coaches voted for three guards, five frontcourt players, and four players of either position to make the All-Star Game. Coaches cannot vote for their own players, and conference affiliation doesn’t matter.

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Former Gamecocks A’ja Wilson and Aliyah Boston were announced as All-Star Starters last week. Neither has missed an All-Star Game in her career. Wilson is making her eighth All-Star appearance, and Boston is making her fourth (there was no All-Star Game in 2020).

Voting for starters was split into frontcourt players and guards. Boston led all frontcourt players in fan voting and finished fifth in media voting and eighth in player voting. Wilson was second in fan and media voting and first in player voting. Wilson finished first overall among frontcourt players. Boston was fourth.

Former Gamecock Kamilla Cardoso was not named an All-Star. In her third season, Cardoso is playing the best basketball of her career. She is averaging 14.6 points, 8.7 rebounds, 2.5 assists, and 1.7 blocks in 26.7 minutes. She set a WNBA record by scoring 30 points on perfect 13-for-13 shooting earlier this season.

Despite Cardoso’s individual accomplishments, Chicago is just 6-14 this season, the third-worst record in the league. That probably cost Cardoso in the voting.

The starters are Wilson, Boston, Paige Bueckers, Caitlin Clark, Kelsey Mitchell, Olivia Miles, Natasha Howard, Jessica Shepard,  Breanna Stewart, and Gabby Williams. The reserves are Gray, Rhyne Howard, Angel Reese, Sonia Citron, Marina Mabrey, Kelsey Plum, Courtney Williams, Jackie Young, Kiki Iriafen, Jonquel Jones, Dominique Malonga, and Nneka Ogwumike. 

Now that the pool of 22 All-Stars has been selected, WNBA greats Cynthia Cooper and Theresa Weatherspoon will pick the teams. They are serving as honorary general managers in celebration of the league’s 30th season.

The All-Star Game will be played on July 25 at the United Center in Chicago. 

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