A national panel of 56 sportswriters and broadcasters raised eyebrows after leaving out every Golden State Valkyries player from the 2026 All-WNBA team. If the Valkyries win the championship this Saturday, they’ll become the only team in WNBA history without a single player named to an All-WNBA team. However, UConn head coach Geno Auriemma wasn’t surprised as one voter’s dissent on an NCAA preseason ballot was all the proof he needed.

The Ringer’s Seerat Sohi and Auriemma discussed Valkyries stars like Gabby Williams and Janelle Salaün’s absence from the All-WNBA First or Second teams, despite being named All-Stars in July.

“I tell my players… over and over again, you can’t trust anything the media does. When they vote, they have biases. You can’t hang your hat on, ‘Hey, I was voted this, I was voted that.’ Don’t put any stock in that. They just voted preseason All-American, and one voter didn’t vote for Sarah Strong as one of the top five players in America,” Geno Auriemma said on The Ringer NBA podcast.

You know, it just kind of made my case. So, they’ve been told over and over and over again, nobody votes on who won. Let’s concentrate on winning.”

Last week, The Associated Press revealed its 2026-27 Preseason All-America Women’s Basketball Team. A 31-member national media panel voted to elect a five-player team. Sarah Strong got the most votes, with 30 of 31 voters picking her. The Huskies coach used the single dissenting vote to illustrate media “bias.”

Strong’s impact extends beyond scoring. The UConn forward excels not just in scoring but in playmaking and even defense.

While Notre Dame’s Hannah Hidalgo, who got 28 votes, had a higher points average in the 2025-26 season at 25.3 PPG, 5.2 APG, and 5.6 steals, Strong had more consistent numbers and shooting percentages than all the five players who made the cut, including Hidalgo, Madison Booker, Mikayla Blakes, and JuJu Watkins.

Strong’s 3.8 APG, 7.7 RPG, 3.4 steals, and 1.6 blocks show the all-around impact she has; her 58.2% field goal average shows her ability to score from both inside and outside the arc.

So it’s no wonder why the UConn head coach called out the media. Podcast host Sohi also alluded that the media sometimes does value the “narratives more than it does their talent.”

Sohi explained that the nature of the Valkyries roster was reflected in this year’s All-WNBA team voting. Golden State operates more as a unit rather than relying on individual star performers, making it difficult for voters to choose one. She also admitted that someone like Gabby Williams did deserve a spot.

“I think I did end up putting Gabby on my ballot ultimately,” said the host.

Auriemma has also been critical of the media in the past for highlighting specific narratives.

In July, in her ESPN profile, Sophie Cunningham opposed the idea of transgender athletes competing in the WNBA. The Indiana Fever guard said she wanted to protect young girls “who shouldn’t have to go against biological men.”

Her statement kicked off a storm in the community that lasted for months, garnering regular media coverage. Auriemma believed it was getting blown out of proportion.

“Why are we making a big issue over an issue that doesn’t exist? I don’t remember reading where there are transsexual players in the WNBA. I don’t remember reading where they were being presented with cases where this is going to happen next week,” he said on TMZ Sports’ Open Mike show.

However, the selection of the All-WNBA and AP’s Preseason All-American teams isn’t even the first time this year that media voting has faced scrutiny.

The 2026 WNBA MVP voting sparked debate

A’ja Wilson made history this year, becoming the first WNBA player in history to win five MVP honors. The Las Vegas Aces center also completed her MVP hat trick in the process.

Wilson winning another MVP wasn’t surprising. With 26.2 PPG and 1.9 blocks, she became the first WNBA player to lead the league in points and blocks for three consecutive seasons. What sparked the debate was how the media voted for the other contenders, and especially Caitlin Clark.

After missing most of the 2025 season due to a season-ending groin injury, Clark came back and became the first player in WNBA history to average at least 20 points and eight assists in a season. She also led the Indiana Fever to a record-setting 115.0 offensive rating alongside Kelsey Mitchell.

While Clark’s huge fanbase thought she was among the frontrunners, when numbers became public, Clark had finished with just 1 first-place vote.

Wilson dominated the poll, earning 65 first-place votes and 713 points. 2026 Rookie of the Year Olivia Miles came in second with 6 votes (442 points), while Mitchell managed 2 votes (287 points).

Besides finishing with just 1 vote, Fox News reported that the Indiana Fever guard had been left off 19 of the 74 ballots entirely. Needless to say, it didn’t win the media any fans.

So whether it’s the WNBA MVP or NCAA preseason All-American team, Geno Auriemma believes his players should only focus on what matters: Winning.