Kayla McBride’s All-Star nod is a testament to the grind

The selection marks the fourth time McBride has been honored as an All-Star, but the first since she arrived in Minnesota in 2021. It’s a distinction she says makes this selection one of the most special honors she’s received in her decorated career.

“This is the most proud [selection] that I think I’ve ever had just because of everything we’ve been through with the Lynx organization,” McBride told reporters after the Team WNBA All-Star roster release. “… Now being able to represent this team, this organization, with ‘Lynx’ across my chest is just a testament to my teammates and a testament to the organization.”

McBride signed with the Lynx as a free agent in 2021 after seven seasons with the Las Vegas Aces/San Antonio Stars franchise. She earned her first All-Star selection in just her second season and returned to the coveted game in back-to-back seasons in 2018-19.

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An established star in the league, Kayla McBride headlined a class of talented free agent acquisitions by the Lynx in 2021 that also included Natalie Achonwa and Aerial Powers. They joined the likes of Napheesa Collier and Sylvia Fowles, the lone player remaining from Minnesota’s 2010s dynasty, with aspirations of returning to championship glory.

The Lynx finished third in the regular season standings with a record of 22-10 in 2021, but fell to the eventual champion Chicago Sky in the second round of the playoffs. The following season, the final of Fowles’ career and one they had to play without Collier, the Lynx missed the playoffs for the first time since head coach Cheryl Reeve’s first year with the organization in 2010. 2023 felt like a mixture of those two seasons as the Lynx started out 0-6, rallied to make the playoffs and ultimately fell to the Connecticut Sun 2-1 in the first round.

It’s been an up-and-down grind, especially in the wins and losses department, since McBride signed with Minnesota. Despite it all, the co-captain of the 2024 Commissioner’s Cup Champions and current leaders of the Western Conference insists every second has been a gift. 

“I’ve talked about it since I’ve been here, Minnesota has been such a saving grace for me and my career,” McBride told reporters after her history-making performance against Seattle on June 9. “I felt really lost when I was leaving Vegas … and I found a home here very quickly.”

Kayla McBride has been an essential building block for what the Minnesota Lynx are trying to accomplish in their ‘post-dynasty era.’ When the team signed her to an extension at the end of last year, Reeve said, “K-Mac is at the root of all the good that has happened for us this season.”

Extending McBride’s contract is proving to be one of the best decisions Reeve has made in her tenure. McBride is playing some of the best basketball of her career, writing her name onto multiple pages of both team and league history books, and has been the league’s most consistent and reliable 3-point shooter. Her 64 made threes have come on 148 attempts (43.2%). For context, the only players who have made more threes than McBride in 2024 are Arike Ogunbowale (67), Kelsey Plum (66), and Caitlin Clark (65), on 195, 178, and 190 attempts respectively. She’s also averaging career highs in assists (3.7 per game) and steals (1.3 per game). 

“It’s wild,” Collier told reporters after a shoot around earlier this season. “It’s so fun every night, you can tell she’s having a blast and so are we. Obviously it’s amazing for our offense, it just spreads the floor so much so [she’s] been great.”

McBride fell short of earning an automatic place in the game by way of fan voting, but her head coach had no doubt her colleagues around the league would make sure her sharpshooting guard secured an invite to Phoenix. 

“I’m super happy and I was pretty confident the coaches would vote Kayla in because her season has been incredible,” Reeve said. “She’s having career highs in [multiple] categories and is just so valuable to us. I keep saying this, it’s such a great space mentally and physically and how she knows how to impact the game, what she’s doing defensively, she’s so much more than a shooter.”

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McBride’s play this season has helped Minnesota to its best record through 22 games since 2017, the same year as their last WNBA Championship. McBride, who has been part of some pretty talented rosters throughout her career, credits the talent and the chemistry that makes up the Lynx roster from top to bottom.

“I just have so much love. From where I was in my career when I came here, until now being able to grow into an All-Star, it’s great,” McBride said. “Like I said, it’s the most talented team that I’ve played on and that’s the reason I’m an All-Star. It’s my teammates giving me confidence, allowing me to be myself day in and day out. Because it’s hard. The season’s a grind. Sometimes you don’t want to go into the gym, but when you go in and see people you care about, who you love, and they love you back, it makes everything easier. I’m just really thankful for them and this group and I’m excited to represent that.”

An All-Star honor as well deserved as it was expected to the coach McBride plays for every night, and who now has the task of coaching against her when All-Star game day comes on July 20.

“I’m not surprised and I’m thrilled that they got it right, and that Kayla is going to be representing the Minnesota Lynx for the first time,” Reeve said. “She’s had some good seasons, but this will be her first All-Star as a Lynx with ‘Lynx’ across her chest and she’s excited about that. And we’re excited to play against her with the national team.” 

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It’s been a process for the Lynx to get to this point as much as it’s been a process for McBride to get back to All-Star status. Enjoying the process and having fun with it even in the tougher moments has been the mentality of the team and their All-Star bound co-captain. 

“Sometimes it can be a grind, but enjoying that part of it is something that I [value],” McBride said. “Coming in and doing movement stuff when you’re sore, you’re tired, there’s things you don’t want to do, but kind of enjoying that [part of the] process has been really beneficial as I’ve gotten older. Just having fun with it. As soon as it becomes something that feels like a job, I don’t want to do that. So just enjoying the process even with the nicks and the losses and stuff like that. Just trying to stay focused and stay consistent and efficient. I think that’s what my team needs of me. So just trying to be the best version of myself as I possibly can be.”