The WNBA's 30th season celebration lands in Chicago on Saturday, as honorary general managers Cynthia Cooper and Teresa Weatherspoon send their hand-picked All-Star rosters onto the United Center floor for the league's midseason showcase.
Team Spoon, built around reigning MVP favorite A'ja Wilson and headline draw Caitlin Clark, opened as 4.5-point favorites over Team Coop, whose roster is fronted by leading fan vote-getter Paige Bueckers and two-time MVP Breanna Stewart.
The two sides were divided by draft rather than conference, giving Weatherspoon a frontcourt built around Wilson, Aliyah Boston and Jonquel Jones, while Cooper leans on Stewart, Angel Reese and Natasha Howard up front.
Kelsey Mitchell, fresh off a 33-point outing against the Liberty on July 18, headlines Team Coop's backcourt alongside Marina Mabrey and Sonia Citron, while Clark is joined by Allisha Gray, Rhyne Howard and rookie sensation Olivia Miles for Team Spoon.
Tip-off at the United Center is at 8:30 p.m. ET, so let's dive into our Team Coop vs. Team Spoon picks.
Team Coop vs. Team Spoon betting picks and predictions
Over 276.5 total points (-110)
The WNBA All-Star Game has been a scoring bonanza in every edition since the format returned in 2022, averaging well over 260 combined points across that stretch, and last year's contest set a record with 282 points in a 151-131 shootout.
This year's total of 276.5 already reflects that trend, but the depth of scoring talent on both sides makes the number look beatable rather than a ceiling.
Mabrey enters off a 53-point outing on June 25 that tied the league's single-game scoring record, while Bueckers, Clark, Wilson, Stewart and Reese give this exhibition five of the sport's biggest offensive names on one floor.
With neither Becky Hammon nor Cheryl Reeve likely to ask for meaningful defensive effort in a game built for highlights, the Over looks the safer side of the total.
Team Spoon -4.5 (-110)
Size wins the argument here. Wilson, Boston and Jones give Weatherspoon's side a rebounding and interior scoring edge that Cooper's more perimeter-oriented group will struggle to match on the glass.
Team Coop's counter is built on shot-making from Bueckers, Mabrey and Mitchell, and in an up-tempo game that plan can certainly keep things close.
But, with Clark, Wilson and Boston all combining size, playmaking and star power in the same lineup, Team Spoon holds the stronger two-way profile even in an exhibition setting, and the market's confidence in the number (-165 on the money line) reflects that.
A'ja Wilson to be named All-Star Game MVP (+700)
Clark, Bueckers and Miles currently sit level atop the WNBA All-Star Game MVP market, with Wilson further back in the betting despite being the reigning MVP.
Wilson's case is the most straightforward of the three: she is a three-time MVP who dominates the interior in exactly the setting where size and finishing at the rim translate directly into stat-sheet-stuffing performances.
Bueckers and Miles both have strong arguments as the most talented offensive engines on their respective sides.
However, Wilson's status as the most dominant two-way force in this year's player pool, plus a favorable matchup against a Team Coop frontcourt light on rim protection, gives her the edge at a workable price.
Read more betting picks and predictions for the WNBA on site.
Team Coop vs. Team Spoon WNBA odds
Team Coop | +130 |
Team Spoon | -165 |
Spread | Team Spoon -4.5 |
Total Points | O/U 276.5 |
Team Coop vs. Team Spoon player props
Player points
A'ja Wilson (Team Spoon) | O/U 22.5 |
Caitlin Clark (Team Spoon) | O/U 21.5 |
Paige Bueckers (Team Coop) | O/U 20.5 |
Kelsey Mitchell (Team Coop) | O/U 19.5 |
Breanna Stewart (Team Coop) | O/U 18.5 |
Olivia Miles (Team Spoon) | O/U 17.5 |
Team Coop vs. Team Spoon Team News
Team Coop
Los Angeles Sparks guard Kelsey Plum, originally voted in as a reserve, was ruled out with a lower-leg injury and has been replaced on the roster by Phoenix Mercury forward Kahleah Copper.
She checks in as the league's seventh-leading scorer this season at 20.5 points per game.
Team Spoon
Clark is confirmed to play after clearing the injury report, though the back issue that has forced Fever coach Stephanie White to manage her minutes in recent weeks remains a factor worth monitoring.
Read the latest WNBA news on site.
This article was written by a partner sports writer via Spotlight Sports Group. All odds displayed on this page were correct at the time of writing and are subject to withdrawal or change at any time.
