STWF Sports | ARLINGTON, Texas | July 22, 2026 — Dallas Wings forward Jessica Shepard will add another marquee appearance to her All-Star Weekend schedule after being selected to compete in the 2026 Kia WNBA Shooting Stars Contest.
The league announced the participants Wednesday, placing Shepard on the Dallas/Detroit team alongside three-time WNBA champion Deanna “Tweety” Nolan. A standout high school player from the Nike EYBL circuit will complete the three-person group.
The Shooting Stars competition will take place Friday, July 24, at Wintrust Arena in Chicago. The event, along with the State Farm WNBA 3-Point Contest, will begin at 7 p.m. CT and air on ESPN, Disney+ and the ESPN App.
The festivities will serve as a lead-in to the 2026 AT&T WNBA All-Star Game, scheduled for Saturday, July 25, at United Center. Shepard will also participate in that contest after earning the first All-Star selection of her six-year WNBA career.
Shepard enters the weekend as one of the league’s most dependable and efficient offensive players. The 6-foot-4 forward ranks fifth in the WNBA this season with a .595 field-goal percentage, continuing a career-long trend of converting scoring opportunities at an elite rate.
Jessica Shepard’s Impact on the WNBA
She has shot at least 60 percent from the field in 13 games, tied for the most such performances in the league this season. Shepard has also finished below 40 percent only once, matching the fewest sub-40-percent shooting games among WNBA players in 2026.
Her efficiency has been a defining part of her professional career. Shepard led the WNBA with a .638 field-goal percentage in 2025, a mark that ranks 13th in league history for a single season. She also finished 11th in the league in 2022 after shooting .502.
Across six seasons, Shepard has converted .553 of her field-goal attempts. That percentage ranks sixth in WNBA history and third among active players, giving the Wings forward an ideal skill set for a timed shooting competition.
The Kia WNBA Shooting Stars Contest will feature four teams representing Minnesota, Seattle, Washington and the combined Dallas/Detroit market. Each roster will include a WNBA legend, a current player and a Nike EYBL standout, creating a showcase built around three generations of women’s basketball talent.
Minnesota will be represented by Rebekkah Brunson and Courtney Williams, while Seattle’s team will feature Lauren Jackson and Flau’jae Johnson. Elena Delle Donne and Shakira Austin will represent Washington.
Honorary All-Star Game general managers Cynthia Cooper and Teresa Weatherspoon will serve as designated passers during the contest. Cooper will distribute the ball to two teams, while Weatherspoon will handle passing duties for the other two.
The competition consists of two timed rounds. Teams will have 70 seconds to accumulate points from seven shooting locations positioned around the court. The sequence ranges from a layup to a long-distance 3-pointer, testing touch, accuracy, communication and pace.
The two teams with the highest opening-round scores will advance to the championship round.
Shepard’s selection adds to a significant All-Star Weekend presence for Dallas. Shepard and guard Paige Bueckers were previously named starters for Saturday’s All-Star Game. Bueckers earned the most fan votes in league balloting with 1,045,051 and will start for the second consecutive season.
Wings rookie Azzi Fudd was also selected for Friday’s State Farm WNBA 3-Point Contest, making her the only first-year player included in the event.
With Shepard, Bueckers and Fudd all taking part in the weekend, the Wings will be represented across multiple stages during one of the WNBA season’s most prominent celebrations.
