PHOENIX — It was just an exhibition game, with no records or trophies on the line. But 20 of the best women’s college seniors played with their usual intensity in the 2026 Lilly Women’s College All-Star Game on Saturday.
With hall of famers Cheryl Miller and Nancy Lieberman each heading a roster of 10, and with legend Ann Meyers Drysdale and current WNBA stars like Kahleah Copper and Marina Mabrey as assistant coaches, the showcase was an extra opportunity for the seniors to impress before the next steps of their basketball careers.
A rollercoaster of a game that featured a fourth quarter Elam Ending was ultimately won by Team Lieberman 72-69, with Mississippi’s Christeen Iwuala knocking down the game-winning free throw to secure her game-high 15th point and the game’s MVP award.
“It’s just awesome being able to end my story in this way,” Iwuala said. “I feel extremely blessed to just be here and have this opportunity to showcase what I can do.”
The game as a whole left plenty to unpack. Slow starts in the first quarter led to scoring explosions in the second and third, with both teams settling in on defense in the fourth as they tried to earn a victory. The competitiveness created a refreshing environment in an era where many all-star games have drifted into low-effort showcases.
“It just shows how we got here. We’re a team full of all-stars, so of course everybody wants to win,” said Arizona State’s Gabby Elliott, who played for Team Lieberman. “But being able to keep your composure is what’s going to get you to that next level. It was about ending our college careers, but also starting our professional ones, so that’s what we had to keep in mind to keep that balance today.”
Baylor’s Darianna Littlepage-Buggs kicked things off with the first four points for Team Miller, but Team Lieberman responded with a 13-0 run. Team Miller clawed back to make it 18-15 by the end of the quarter but ultimately never regained a lead.
That’s not to say Miller’s squad was completely outclassed by Lieberman’s, however. It was a classic game of runs that saw both teams put together some solid stretches of offense, albeit with some shaky 3-point shooting. The teams shot a combined 10-of-58 from beyond the arc.
But it was still entertaining to watch them let it fly with confidence, especially from one player in particular. Texas A&M’s Ny’Ceara Pryor was the smallest player on the court at only 5’3, but never hesitated to release a shot or try to crash the offensive glass for a loose ball.
Pryor finished with 13 points and a game-high 34 minutes — and was one of just two players on Team Miller to finish in double figures, alongside Littlepage-Buggs who had 14 points.
“I talk about it all the time, I’m 5’3, so I have to be able to do everything: defend, rebound, score the ball when I need to,” Pryor said. “I tried to do all of that today and just be the best point guard I could be. ”
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Team Lieberman played a second half of extremes. At one point during the third quarter, they extended their biggest lead of the game to 16, but then stalled to only carry a six-point lead into the final frame.
Then, with the Elam Ending target score set to be announced at the five-minute mark in the fourth quarter, Team Lieberman went scoreless for five straight minutes to begin the period until Alabama’s Jessica Timmons finally poured in an and-one layup at the 4:59 mark.
With that, the final target score was set at 72, but by then, Team Miller had already caught up with the game previously tied at 60. What followed was a gritty sprint to the finish line that was a microcosm of how the game developed as a whole: Team Lieberman jumped out ahead first, Team Miller crept back in with desperation, but Team Lieberman eventually sealed the deal.
In the end, every player could be proud of their performance and celebrate the culmination of years of hard work and distinction throughout their college careers.
“It’s just a blessing to meet everybody,” said Washington’s Elle Ladine of her teammates on Team Miller. “I’ve known all these girls from playing against them, so to get to know them and actually connect outside of basketball is awesome.”
The honor wasn’t lost on one player in particular: Elliott. After navigating a six-year college career that included stops at four different programs and multiple season-ending injuries, the Sun Devils guard finally got to close things out on her own terms in her first fully healthy season. That perspective was evident as she soaked in the moment postgame, smiling as she reflected on how far she’d come to reach this stage.
“My heart is full and happy,” Elliott said. “I really don’t even know what to say right now. I didn’t imagine being selected for this all-star game growing up as a kid, but to be here and get the dub — this experience is crazy right now.”
The same could be said for the game MVP Iwuala — she never stopped smiling from the moment the final buzzer sounded. The 12.5 points and 8.3 rebounds she averaged at Mississippi were just about double from her previous career highs. This season earned her this opportunity, and subsequently, coaching from some of the true legends of the sport.
“I feel like they just gave us so many gems in this short amount of time that we were here and I’ve just tried to apply it as soon as possible,” Iwuala said. “The lessons they gave me, I’m going to be able to carry throughout my entire career.”
For a group on the cusp of the professional level, the opportunity carried weight far beyond the final score. Between the up-and-down runs, the missed shots and late-game execution, the day ultimately served as both a celebration and a proving ground — one last chance to compete alongside and against the nation’s best before taking the next step.
And in a setting led by some of the game’s most influential figures, that stage felt even bigger.
“The opportunity to be able to showcase your skills on a different level is really important,” Meyers Drysdale said. “And I think that this All-Star game really shows that.”
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