The 2026 WNBA All-Star starter voting results (aka the WNBA Electoral College) were announced yesterday. And to no one’s surprise, the Washington Mystics had no starters. Given that no one is a blockbuster superstar (I know I’m hashing the same tired themes of the Mystics during their entire history except when Chamique Holdsclaw or Elena Delle Donne were there), I’m not surprised. But one Mystics player improved her ranking because of it. More on it later.
Two Mystics were in the top ten for their
positions. Sonia Citron finished 8th among guards and Kiki Iriafen finished 9th among frontcourt players.
What’s fascinating is how they got there. Sonia Citron was ranked just 10th by fans and 10th by media, but her fellow players ranked her 4th, showing that the players around the league have a tremendous amount of respect for her game. Or that she’s one of the “real ones.”
Contrast Citron’s ranking from the disparities one guard on the Indiana Fever got from the fans and media … versus the players. You can figure out who that is.
Meanwhile, Kiki Iriafen stayed in contention largely because of fan support, finishing 9th in the fan vote despite slightly lower rankings from media and players (10th for both).
Now, with Citron benefiting from the Electoral College, do I like it? Actually, I don’t, even though the player ranking benefited a Mystics player.
The WNBA uses a formula of 50 percent fan vote, 25 percent media vote, and 25 percent player vote. In other words, the actual popular vote only counts for half. This is the same formula used for the NBA All-Star Game’s starters.
If we’re talking about All-Star starters, why not just let the fans decide? This was done for years until 2017 when the Electoral College came about. If an end-of-the-bench player gets the most votes, let her start. Why? Because the fans wanted it. This has also more-or-less happened before and sometimes, the underdog wins.
Anyway, Citron and Iriafen will probably make the All-Star Game anyway. The coaches determine the reserves. They will be announced on Tuesday, July 7.
Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.
