The 2024 WNBA All-Star Sport rosters are set with Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese making their debuts within the annual showcase later this month.
Clark, the No. 1 decide by the Indiana Fever on this 12 months’s WNBA Draft, acquired probably the most votes within the fan-voting portion of the balloting. Having already gained Rookie of the Month in Might, she is main all first-year gamers in scoring (16.2 factors per recreation), assists (6.9 per recreation), and is second league-wide in 3-pointers made (56).
On Tuesday, Reese, the No. 7 decide to the Chicago Sky, was named Rookie of the Month for June. This previous weekend, she set a single-season WNBA file for consecutive double-doubles (10), and he or she led the WNBA in rebounding coming into Tuesday night time’s motion. Like Clark, Reese completed within the high 5 of the fan vote.
The countdown begins… ⏳
Get able to witness the last word conflict of expertise as #WNBAAllStar meets the USA Ladies’s Nationwide Workforce on July twentieth at 8:30pm/ET on ABC 📺 pic.twitter.com/oEyJciHmEx
— WNBA (@WNBA) July 3, 2024
The 2 rookies are the one two first-time members within the exhibition, which is ready for July 20 in Phoenix.
“I’m simply so comfortable. I do know the work I put in,” Reese stated. “Coming into this league, so many individuals doubted me, didn’t suppose my recreation would translate and I wouldn’t be the participant that I used to be in school. … However I trusted the method and I believed and I’m grateful that I dropped to (decide No. 7) and was capable of come to Chicago.”
It’s the first time since 2014 that two rookies will participate within the recreation.
The 12 members of the 2024 U.S. Olympic workforce have been routinely granted spots within the All-Star Sport. Phoenix Mercury guard Diana Taurasi, who’s showing in her sixth Olympics, will even be enjoying in her eleventh All-Star Sport. Her teammate, middle Brittney Griner, can be showing in her tenth All-Star Sport, together with 2022 during which she was an honorary participant.
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The preliminary collection of the All-Stars was performed via a mix of voting by followers (50 p.c), a nationwide panel of media members (25 p.c) and present WNBA gamers (25 p.c). Coaches stuffed out the rest of the roster.
The format of the sport will once more be Workforce USA in opposition to Workforce WNBA. In 2021, the final time this format was used, Workforce WNBA defeated the U.S. Olympic workforce.
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Workforce WNBA:
- DeWanna Bonner, Connecticut Solar (sixth All-Star Sport)
- Aliyah Boston, Indiana Fever (second)
- Caitlin Clark, Indiana Fever (first)
- Allisha Grey, Atlanta Dream (second)
- Dearica Hamby, Los Angeles Sparks (third)
- Brionna Jones, Connecticut Solar (third)
- Jonquel Jones, New York Liberty (fifth)
- Kayla McBride, Minnesota Lynx (fourth)
- Kelsey Mitchell, Indiana Fever (second)
- Arike Ogunbowale, Dallas Wings (fourth)
- Nneka Ogwumike, Seattle Storm (ninth)
- Angel Reese, Chicago Sky (first)
Workforce USA:
- Napheesa Collier, Minnesota Lynx (fourth)
- Kahleah Copper, Phoenix Mercury (fourth)
- Chelsea Grey, Las Vegas Aces (sixth)
- Brittney Griner, Phoenix Mercury (tenth)
- Sabrina Ionescu, New York Liberty (third)
- Jewell Loyd, Seattle Storm (sixth)
- Kelsey Plum, Las Vegas Aces (third)
- Breanna Stewart, New York Liberty (sixth)
- Diana Taurasi, Phoenix Mercury (eleventh)
- Alyssa Thomas, Connecticut Solar (fifth)
- A’ja Wilson, Las Vegas Aces (sixth)
- Jackie Younger, Las Vegas Aces (third)
Had been there any snubs?
As my colleague Sabreena Service provider and I wrote final week, choosing Workforce WNBA would all the time be tough. Affordable circumstances will be made for every of the gamers chosen. And all however one workforce (Washington Mystics) has at the least one participant within the exhibition.
Potential snubs, nevertheless, embody Storm middle Ezi Magbegor, Lynx middle Alanna Smith and Liberty wing Betnijah Laney-Hamilton. Magbegor is within the operating for Defensive Participant of the Yr honors. She leads the WNBA in whole blocks (42), is seventh in rebounds per recreation (8.7), is third in offensive rebounds per recreation (2.9), is third in defensive win shares and fourth in total win shares. Earlier this season, she recorded at the least three blocks in eight consecutive video games, the second-longest streak in WNBA historical past.
Smith anchors a Lynx protection that has the WNBA’s greatest defensive ranking (91.3) since 2007. This season, she has recorded new career-highs in factors, assists, steals and blocks. She is fourth in defensive win shares and can also be capturing a career-best 46.4 p.c from 3-point vary. Smith and Magbegor are anticipated to be key members of the Australian nationwide workforce this summer season, however with each of them not making the WNBA All-Star Sport, there is just one worldwide participant within the contest (Jonquel Jones).
“I believed she had an excellent likelihood as effectively,” Minnesota coach Cheryl Reeve stated. “She’s actually good for as effectively and we’re an excellent workforce with an excellent file. … I simply know these issues aren’t straightforward.”
Coming into Tuesday night time’s recreation in opposition to the Lynx, Laney-Hamilton, the versatile wing for New York, led all WNBA gamers who’ve appeared in additional than 5 video games in web ranking (plus-19.9). She is once more one of many WNBA’s high defenders.
Fever is most represented franchise on Workforce WNBA
After not having any gamers on the U.S. Olympic workforce, three members of the Fever (Clark, Boston and Mitchell) have been named to Workforce WNBA, probably the most of any franchise. Boston, who’s averaging 13.1 factors and eight.3 rebounds per recreation, completed second within the fan vote and was routinely named to the workforce as a operate of being within the high 10.
Like Boston, Mitchell is showing in her second consecutive All-Star Sport. She is averaging 16.3 factors per recreation and was among the many eight gamers named to the All-Star Sport following the coaches’ vote.
McBride, Hamby spotlight All-Star returnees
McBride, the Lynx guard, is returning to the All-Star Sport for the primary since 2019. She is Minnesota’s second-leading scorer with 15.8 factors per recreation, her highest output since 2018, and the Lynx have the Western Convention’s greatest file coming into Tuesday (14-4).
“I’m thrilled,” Reeve stated. “I believed it was a little bit of a no brainer, however I’m thrilled when it occurs. She’s had an unbelievable season so far. Profession-high in scoring it and simply the ways in which we depend on (her), defensively, passing, every part that we ask her to do, making performs off the bounce. She’s simply doing every part for us.”
Hamby is making her third All-Star look and the primary since 2022. Having been traded within the 2023 offseason, Hamby is showing within the recreation simply over a 12 months after the delivery of her second little one. She leads Los Angeles with profession highs of 18.4 factors and 10.3 rebounds per recreation. She will even take part within the Paris Olympics with Workforce USA’s 3×3 workforce.
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(Picture: Emilee Chinn / Getty Photos)
