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J.J. Post, ESPN
From setting league records to earning franchise achievements, the WNBA’s star-studded 2024 rookie class has had an incredible first few months.
Earlier this month, the class made more history when it was revealed both No. 1 pick Caitlin Clark and No. 7 pick Angel Reese had been named to the league’s All-Star team — the first time two rookies have earned All-Star honors since 2014.
It’s just the eighth time in league history that two or more players have been named All-Stars as rookies. Here’s a look at the seven other times that multiple league debutants have earned the midseason honor in the same year.
Year: 2014
Players: Chiney Ogwumike, Shoni Schimmel
Ogwumike won Rookie of the Year honors after a debut campaign that saw her average over 15 points and 8 rebounds per game, but it was Schimmel who stole the show at the All-Star Game in Phoenix. The former Louisville Cardinal poured in a then-All-Star Game-record 29 points to go with eight assists. She helped the Eastern Conference to an overtime victory en route to winning the game’s MVP award.
Year: 2011
Players: Courtney Vandersloot, Maya Moore, Liz Cambage, Danielle Adams
The rookie class at the 2011 WNBA All-Star Game went on to combine for 12 total additional appearances over the course of the players’ careers. Headlining the class was Minnesota Lynx forward Maya Moore, who would go on to win Rookie of the Year at the end of the season. That set the tone for a career that would see her capture league MVP honors in 2014 as well as four titles. Vandersloot wins the award for longevity, however, as the five-time All-Star is still starting games for the New York Liberty at age 35.
Year: 2010
Players: Jayne Appel-Marinelli, Tina Charles
The 2010 WNBA “Stars at the Sun” game featured a Team USA vs. Team WNBA format akin to the 2024 edition of the contest, with Charles and Appel-Marinelli coming off the bench for their respective squads. Charles notched six points and five rebounds in just over 14 minutes of action, part of a rookie campaign that would end with her earning Rookie of the Year honors. The now-Atlanta Dream center hasn’t slowed down since — she has averaged double-digit points and at least seven rebounds in each of her 14 seasons in the league.
Year: 2006
Players: Sophia Young-Malcolm, Cappie Pondexter, Seimone Augustus, Candice Dupree
Another deep All-Star rookie class, the 2006 group of rookie All-Stars would combine for a whopping 21 additional appearances in the game across their careers, as well as seven WNBA championships. Every player in the group would earn at least two more All-Star honors. Augustus, the eventual Rookie of the Year, shined in a losing effort for the Western Conference, totaling a team-high 16 points.
Year: 2002
Players: Tamika Catchings, Stacey Dales, Sue Bird
Two legends of the league in a three-player rookie All-Star class seems like a pretty good hit rate, right? Eventual Hall of Famer Tamika Catchings, playing in her first of ten All-Star games, would go on to earn Rookie of the Year honors after averaging over 18 points and 8 assists. But Rookie of the Year runner-up Sue Bird would build an even more stacked résumé over the course of her career, earning 12 additional All-Star nods in addition to winning four WNBA championships with the Seattle Storm before retiring in 2022.
Year: 2001
Players: Jackie Stiles, Lauren Jackson
Stiles would go on to win Rookie of the Year in 2001, but it was unfortunately one of the only honors in a career cut short by a number of injuries. Jackson would go on to become a three-time league MVP, and she would win a pair of titles with Bird and the Storm. She was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2021.
Year: 1999
Players: Chamique Holdsclaw, Taj McWilliams-Franklin, Nykesha Sales, Shannon Johnson, Yolanda Griffith, Natalie Williams, Tonya Edwards
The league’s inaugural All-Star game was absolutely loaded with rookie talent. Six of the seven rookies to appear in the game would amass three or more additional All-Star honors over the course of their careers. The class, headlined by eventual Rookie of the Year Chamique Holdsclaw and future Hall of Famer Yolanda Griffith, would combined for 35 All-Star appearances as well as three WNBA championships.
