HARTFORD, Conn. — The WNBA called the last week its All-Star break, but players who were participating in the festivities in Indianapolis are getting barely any time off before regular-season games resume.

Ten of the league’s 13 teams will be back on the court Tuesday, including all four UConn women’s basketball alumni that competed in the All-Star Game on Saturday. Dallas Wings rookie Paige Bueckers and Seattle Storm forward Gabby Williams will go head-to-head to kick off the second half of the season at Seattle’s Climate Pledge Arena after both made their All-Star debuts last weekend, while All-Star MVP Napheesa Collier's Minnesota Lynx host the Chicago Sky. New York Liberty superstar Breanna Stewart is also back home Tuesday to host the Indiana Fever at Barclays Center.

The WNBA is playing its longest regular season ever in 2025 with 44 games on the schedule, the maximum allowed under the current collective bargaining agreement. With 15 former Huskies represented on 10 rosters across the league, there will plenty for UConn fans to follow in the second half of the year as teams begin the race towards the WNBA playoffs in earnest.

“It’s just incredible the fact that we have all these talented players here,” Stewart said on ESPN after the All-Star Game. “We knew we had to come together this week and have fun — do business, but also have a lot of fun. Now it’s back to work on Tuesday. It’s crazy.”

Collier headlines MVP race after All-Star dominance

Collier was crowned the All-Star MVP after posting a record 36 points plus nine rebounds to lead her team to victory, and the Lynx superstar begins the second half of the season as the favorite to add the league’s MVP award to her collection. She averaged 23.2 points, 7.6 rebounds, 3.3 assists, 1.8 steals and 1.6 blocks through the first half of the season, leading the WNBA in scoring and efficiency while also ranking top 10 in rebounds, blocks and steals.

Collier’s biggest competitors in the MVP race are Phoenix Mercury star Alyssa Thomas and Las Vegas Aces forward A’ja Wilson, a three-time MVP and the reigning winner of the award. Thomas missed five games with a calf injury early in the season but averaged 15.2 points, 9.5 assists, 7.3 rebounds and 1.4 steals heading into the All-Star break. Wilson is putting together yet another dominant season, averaging 22.3 points, 9.2 rebounds, a career-high 3.2 assists plus 2.4 blocks and 1.6 steals despite the Aces’ underwhelming 11-11 record.

Though it feels wrong to call a two-time MVP a dark horse, Stewart could be a sleeper candidate for the award as she looks to lead the New York Liberty to a second consecutive WNBA title. The star forward quietly dominated while MVP center Jonquel Jones was out with an ankle injury, and though Stewart is shooting a career-low 20.6% from 3-point range, she leads New York averaging 19.8 points and 6.9 rebounds per game plus 3.9 assists, 1.4 steals and 1.4 blocks. Stewart has finished top 3 in MVP voting in each of the last five seasons, and she could make a case to continue that trend if the Liberty get rolling after the break. The Liberty and the Lynx have yet to play a rematch of the 2024 Finals this season, but the teams’ first meeting on July 30 will be critical for both Stewart and Collier’s individual cases.

Bueckers remains heavy favorite for Rookie of the Year

Bueckers was joined in the All-Star Game by fellow rookies Sonia Citron and Kiki Iriafen from the Washington Mystics, but the former Huskies star remains the clear frontrunner for Rookie of the Year. She averaged 18.4 points, 5.5 assists, 4.1 rebounds and 1.7 steals over the first half of the season, leading all rookies in points, assists and efficiency. Despite Dallas’s 6-17 record, fellow UConn legend Rebecca Lobo said ahead of All-Star weekend that Bueckers has adapted remarkably well to the professional game.

“She already was doing those things in college to a degree, already kind of had the pro mentality in terms of how she was taking care of her body and preparing and recovering,” Lobo said. “She’s just an incredibly impressive young woman who I think really understands that No. 1 (draft) picks tend to go to places that that are going to struggle that first year, and you have to kind of work through that and still perform at a high level, which she has. She’s just so, so good.”

Williams, Stevens making cases for Most Improved

Williams’ first All-Star selection was mainstream recognition of the leap she’s taken in her seventh WNBA season — her first complete season in the league since 2022. Before the break she averaged 13.2 points, 4.4 assists and 2.4 steals, all of which are career highs, and she is also shooting a career-best 33.3% on 3-pointers.

Los Angeles Sparks center Azura Stevens, who played with Williams at UConn in 2017-18, is also having a breakout year. Her 14.7 points, 8.7 rebounds, 1.9 assists and 1.5 steals per game are all career highs, and she is also shooting above 50% from the field and above 40% from 3-point range for the first time in eight seasons.

How other former Huskies fared in first half of WNBA season

— Tina Charles, Connecticut Sun: After a slump in June during the Sun’s 10-game losing streak, Charles entered the All-Star break with double-doubles in three of her last four appearances. The veteran forward is averaging 15.6 points and 5.6 rebounds, hoping to lead Connecticut out of last place in the second half of the year.

— Kaitlyn Chen, Golden State Valkyries: Chen is set to make her Connecticut homecoming this Sunday when the Valkyries play the Sun for the first time at Mohegan Sun Arena. The rookie was waived by Golden State during training camp, but she’s proved herself worthy of a roster spot since re-signing with the team on June 15. Chen is averaging 14.8 minutes per game and played at least 10 in the team’s last four games before the All-Star break.

— Stefanie Dolson, Washington Mystics: Dolson settled into her role off the bench for Washington after center Shakira Austin returned from injury and remains a steady veteran presence for the league’s youngest team. She is averaging 2.9 points and 2.5 rebounds in 16.2 minutes per game.

— Aaliyah Edwards, Washington Mystics: The Mystics were reportedly exploring trade destinations for Edwards prior to the All-Star break with the Aug. 7 deadline approaching, but the sophomore has been impactful despite her limited playing time. She is averaging 6.4 points and 3.6 rebounds shooting nearly 50% from the field in 14.4 minutes per game.

— Bria Hartley, Connecticut Sun: Hartley started seven straight games for the Sun before the break and is averaging 8.8 points plus three assists in 23 minutes per game. Her role may diminish with star guard Marina Mabrey set to return from a knee injury, but Hartley has proven herself a reliable option to run point.

— Tiffany Hayes, Golden State Valkyries: Hayes helped lead the Valkyries to the best start for a first-year expansion franchise in WNBA history, and Golden State is on track to become the first expansion team to make the playoffs in its inaugural season. Hayes is the Valkyries’ second leading scorer averaging 12.8 points plus 3.7 rebounds and 2.7 assists.

— Moriah Jefferson, Chicago Sky: Jefferson missed almost the entire first half of the season recovering from a leg injury, but she made four appearances before All-Star and will look to break into the rotation in the second half now that she’s healthy.

— Olivia Nelson-Ododa, Connecticut Sun: Nelson-Ododa started 19 of the Sun’s 21 games before the All-Star break and is on pace for the best season of her career. She is averaging 8.5 points, six rebounds and 1.3 blocks, all of which are career highs.

— Kia Nurse, Chicago Sky: Nurse fell out of Chicago’s starting lineup at the end of June, but she is still a key contributor shooting a near career-high 35.2% from 3-point range. She is averaging 6.7 points and 2.1 rebounds in 21.5 minutes per game.

— Kiah Stokes, Las Vegas Aces: The Aces struggled uncharacteristically in the first half of the season, entering the All-Star break in eighth place. Stokes, who was on Vegas’ 2022 and 2023 championship teams, is averaging 1.8 points and 5.2 rebounds in 18 minutes per game.

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