Rookie Paige Bueckers named WNBA All-Star starter. Nneka Ogwumike selected for 10th time

NEW YORK (AP) — Paige Bueckers will play in her first WNBA All-Star Game while Nneka Ogwumike has earned her 10th selection, the league announced Monday as it named the players who will join Caitlin Clark and Napheesa Collier as All-Star starters.

Bueckers, who was the No. 1 overall draft pick by the Dallas Wings, will be the 10th rookie to start the game. It's the third straight season it's happened, with Clark getting a start last year and Aliyah Boston in 2013. Bueckers is ranked 11th in the league in scoring (18.4 points) and sixth in assists (5.8) to lead all rookies in both categories. She received the sixth most votes from the fans.

Ogwumike, who stars for Seattle, is tied for the third-most All-Star appearances with Tamika Catchings and Brittney Griner. She trails only Sue Bird (13) and Diana Taurasi (11).

Clark and Collier were named captains of the teams on Sunday for receiving the most fan votes. The pair will draft their teams by choosing among the other starters as well as the 12 reserves chosen by coaches. The reserves will be announced this weekend.

New York's Breanna Stewart and Las Vegas' A'ja Wilson each earned a seventh All-Star nod and will be in the starting lineup. Other starters selected Monday by a combination of fan, media and player voting included guards Allisha Gray of Atlanta and Sabrina Ionescu of New York. The frontcourt also will feature Phoenix's Satou Sabally and Boston, Clark's Indiana teammate.

The starters were selected from across the WNBA without regard to conference affiliation. Players and a media panel joined fans in selecting the starters. Fans voting accounted for 50%, while the player and media votes each accounted for 25%.

Boston finished fewer than 1,400 votes behind Minnesota star Collier for second in the fan voting. While Clark finished first in the fan vote, she was ninth in the players' vote and third in the media voting for guards.

Kelsey Mitchell of Indiana and Angel Reese of Chicago both just missed making the All-Star starters list, finishing fifth and seventh, respectively, at their positions.

The game will be played in Indianapolis on July 19.

AP WNBA: https://apnews.com/hub/wnba-basketball

Golden State Valkyries' Laeticia Amihere, bottom, is fouled by New York Liberty's Breanna Stewart during an WNBA basketball game in San Francisco on Wednesday, June 25, 2025. (Scott Strazzante/San Francisco Chronicle via AP)

Seattle Storm forward Nneka Ogwumike, left, tries to look around the defense from Indiana Fever guard Lexie Hull, back and guard Caitlin Clark, right, during the second half of a WNBA basketball game Tuesday, June 24, 2025, in Seattle. (AP Photo/Lindsey Wasson)

Dallas Wings guard Paige Bueckers (5) shoots against Indiana Fever guard Aari McDonald (2) during the first half of a WNBA basketball game Friday, June 27, 2025, in Dallas. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez)

ISLAMABAD (AP) — A gas cylinder explosion early Sunday after a wedding reception at a home in Pakistan’s capital killed at least eight people, including the bride and groom, police and officials said.

The blast occurred as guests who had gathered to celebrate the couple were sleeping at the house, causing part of the house to collapse, according to the Islamabad police. Seven people were injured.

In a statement, police said the explosion occurred in a residential area in the heart of the city. A government administrator, Sahibzada Yousaf, said authorities were alerted about the blast early Sunday and officers are still investigating. He said some nearby homes were also damaged.

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif expressed grief over the loss of lives and offered condolences to the victims’ families, according to a statement from his office. He directed health authorities to ensure the injured receive the best possible treatment and ordered a full investigation.

Many Pakistani households rely on liquefied petroleum gas cylinders because of low natural gas pressure, and such cylinders have been linked to deadly accidents caused by gas leaks. Police said investigations were ongoing.

Government officials survey the damage of a home caused by a gas cylinder explosion hours after a wedding reception, in Islamabad, Pakistan, Sunday, Jan. 11, 2026. (AP Photo/Ehsan Shahzad)