Seattle Storm trio reacts to uniquely meaningful 2025 All-Star selections

Weeks before her selection was officially announced, the Storm advocated for Williams to be an All-Star. In previous seasons, Williams had joined her teams late either because of commitments with either overseas teams or the French national team. Now in her seventh WNBA season, Williams was finally able to be in Seattle as early as the preseason. It quickly paid off, with Williams achieving career-high averages and putting together massive performances as she continues following up her stellar work at the 2024 Paris Olympics, where she won a silver medal with France.

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This season Williams is averaging 13.6 points and 4.5 assists, both career-highs, with 4.7 rebounds and a league- and career-best 2.5 steals in 33.9 minutes per game this season. She is on pace for the highest single-season steals average since 2013 and leads the WNBA in games with multiple steals this season. Williams also set the Storm single-game record with eight steals on June 18 and became the first player in WNBA history to record their first points/assists double-double and first points/rebounds double-double in consecutive games.

“It’s not something that was my goal,” Williams told Sports Illustrated. “My goal was to come back in Seattle and be with Seattle, be whatever I needed to be for the team. That’s always my goal. And Seattle never put pressure on me to be an All-Star, to be this or whatever. They just always told me to be you, just be Gabby. So the fact that I get to be Gabby and an All-Star, like, I don’t have to be anyone but myself, and still kind of get this accolade, I’m just so thankful for what Seattle has done for me, what my teammates have done for me. They rock with me through half seasons, waited for me to come back from the Olympics. [Head coach Noelle Quinn] said in the locker room, she’s like, if it’s 12, 10, or 44 [games], we just know that we’re together, and that means a lot to me.”

Williams’ first All-Star selection confirms to her and the Storm that everything the team has poured into her, and allowing her to play to her strengths, was worth it.

“I couldn’t be happier that I’m doing it with Seattle because they’ve never put pressure on me to be anything else but myself,” Williams told media after a win over the Liberty in New York. “And even if I wasn’t an All-Star, I would still be happy because I know what I mean to my teammates, what my teammates mean to me, and that’s the most important.”

“It just feels like one of those things that just feels so perfect, because I get to be myself and I get to be an All-Star. So just really, really lucky that this franchise has poured into me for four years, has stayed patient with me through my international duties and allowed me to get here.”

For Diggins, her seventh career All-Star selection comes after thinking she might’ve played her final All-Star game in 2022. At the time, Diggins was pregnant with her daughter, but no one really knew yet, “so I thought to myself, this could be my last All-Star, I just don’t know what going to happen after this,” Diggins told ESPN.

This season, Diggins is averaging 17.9 points while shooting 44% from the field and 40% from three, in addition to 5.8 assists, 1.1 steals and 2.3 rebounds in 32.6 minutes per game.

“It feels great,” Diggins said. “I am excited, first of all, to be a part of this organization, to be in this league. I don’t take it for granted. Year 13, year 11 on the floor. It means a lot to me to experience it with the people I’m getting to experience it with. … It means a lot to me for my kids to be able to see me play this year. …  for it to come full circle, and just to be playing at that level means a lot.”

Similar to Williams, Diggins says she has also felt immensely supported by the Storm on her journey to this season’s accolade. Last year, Diggins was returning from maternity leave and a long time away from the high-level competition of the WNBA. As a result, she struggled to find consistency in her form until after the All-Star break. This year, comparatively, she joined the Storm in fantastic form off a stellar season with Lunar Owls in Unrivaled.

“I have a lot of people to thank, starting with [head coach] Noelle [Quinn],” Diggins said. “Her belief in me, her allowing me that time when I was coming back from maternity leave to grow and work my body back into shape. She just really showed me a lot of grace and, at the same time, really stretched me as a leader and really challenged me to be better all around. So it really starts with her and the support system that I have here at the Storm.”

The 2025 WNBA All-Star game will also be an exciting homecoming for the South Bend, Ind.-native, as Diggins will have lots of family at the game in an arena she is incredibly familiar with. Though the name was different at the time, Diggins used to play state championship games and big AAU tournaments at Gainbridge Fieldhouse.

“It’s awesome to be in Indiana,” Diggins said. “It’s so many memories … some of my big moments as far as what got me on the scene, what got me looks to lead me to Notre Dame and, you know, the rest is history.”

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In a season where she has continued to climb the record books, Ogwumike is heading to her tenth All-Star game. The veteran is one of just four players to be voted an All-Star 10 or more times, alongside legendary players Sue Bird, Diana Taurasi and Tamika Catchings. It is also the fourth consecutive season that she has been named an All-Star starter.

“I’m very grateful,” Ogwumike said after the Storm’s June 11 home victory over the Sun. “I feel like I’m telling myself, ‘yeah, you’ve been playing a long time, that’s why these people keep telling you, oh, you broke this record.’ I’m like, ‘well, I’ve been playing for 14 years,’ but I still am very grateful. I think it probably hits me a little bit more when I see the company that I’m surrounded by in whatever stats people throw at me, but I’m still very focused on the moment.”

When she was announced as an All-Star starter, Ogwumike was averaging 17.0 points, 7.9 rebounds, 2.2 assists, and 1.4 steals in 30.8 minutes per game this season. She remains on pace for a WNBA-record 14th consecutive season shooting at least 50% from the field.

What feels particularly special for the entire trio is that the three of them are doing it together.

“We like to say 3-4-5 like A-B-C,” Williams told Storm fans after the home victory over Connecticut, referring to the trio’s jersey numbers. “I trust those guys with everything. I wouldn’t have my first All-Star without them, without you guys [the fans]. I just want to say thank you to everyone. Thank you to this franchise. I wouldn’t be here without any of this.”

Ogwumike and Diggins have been on All-Star teams together before in 2014 and 2017 and were supposed to be on even more together, but injuries and illnesses prevented it in other years. Still, Diggins isn’t taking the chance to share more of those moments for granted.

“It’s definitely special to share those moments that seem like once-in-a-lifetime moments with one of your favorite people over and over again,” Diggins said. “And so, we don’t take it for granted. You know, we’re still here, we’re still kicking, we’re still thriving. It’s been some of my favorite basketball getting to experience it next to her.”

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Diggins and Ogwumike will play together again this season, this time for Napheesa Collier‘s team. Meanwhile, Williams will play on Caitlin Clark‘s team. This separation is the only part of the All-Star selections that the trio is upset about.

Ogwumike said after a June 11 home victory over Connecticut that she is sick over it, refuses to guard Williams and doesn’t want to even think about having to go against her. Williams expressed similar annoyance.

“The only thing that makes me nervous is like I’m going to be like a little lost puppy on the other team. I was looking forward to just like following [Ogwumike and Diggins] around and like them showing me the reins,” Williams said chuckling. “But I’m just looking forward to taking every moment in and everything.” 

“It is going to be weird, like I’m playing against my UConn teammates and my Seattle teammates. So, it’s funny how that worked out, but maybe this is like the universe telling me that I need to meet new people.”

Regardless of the temporary separation, this year’s All-Star Game, held at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis on Saturday, July 19 at 8:30 p.m. ET, will be an exciting and meaningful experience for all three Storm players.