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Rookie stars Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese will pair up within the 2024 WNBA All-Star Sport as members of Crew WNBA taking up Crew USA, the league introduced Tuesday. Clark completed first within the fan voting portion that counts 25% towards the ultimate roster and Reese completed fifth.
Clark (Fever), Aliyah Boston (Fever), Dearica Hamby (Sparks) and Arike Ogunbowale (Wings) had been mechanically named All-Stars as gamers who completed within the prime 10 of total All-Star voting and who weren’t already on the energetic Crew USA 5-on-5 roster. Reese is certainly one of eight gamers who had been named to Crew WNBA after the coaches’ vote factored into the choice.
The remainder of the roster consists of DeWanna Bonner (Solar), Allisha Grey (Dream), Brionna Jones (Solar), Jonquel Jones (Liberty), Kayla McBride (Lynx), Kelsey Mitchell (Fever) and Nneka Ogwumike (Storm).
The All-Star Sport format is Crew WNBA vs. Crew USA as a lead-up to the 2024 Paris Olympics and can happen at Footprint Middle in Phoenix on Saturday, July 20 (8:30 p.m. ET, ABC). The abilities problem and 3-point contest will happen Friday (6 p.m. ET, ESPN).
All gamers on Crew USA mechanically earned 2024 WNBA All-Star honors upon their choice by USA Basketball final month. The workforce consists of Napheesa Collier (Lynx), Kahleah Copper (Mercury), Chelsea Grey (Aces), Brittney Griner (Mercury), Sabrina Ionescu (Liberty), Jewell Loyd (Storm), Kelsey Plum (Aces), Breanna Stewart (Liberty), Diana Taurasi (Mercury), Alyssa Thomas (Solar), A’ja Wilson (Aces) and Jackie Younger (Aces).
The 3×3 workforce members, which incorporates Hamby, are usually not automated All-Stars and don’t compete for Crew USA within the All-Star Sport.
Clark, Boston lead fan vote
The preliminary choice of All-Stars was determined by a mix of followers (50%), present WNBA gamers who submit ballots (25%) and a nationwide panel of sportswriters and broadcasters (25%). Voters’ ballots consisted of six frontcourt gamers and two backcourt gamers. Crew USA gamers might obtain votes.
The highest 10 vote earners mechanically obtained All-Star nods and people not on Crew USA had been assigned to Crew WNBA. Clark (700,735) and Boston (618,680) completed first and second, respectively, in fan voting adopted by Wilson (607,300), Stewart (424,135) and Reese (381,518). Wilson and Stewart received the vote final yr.
The WNBA didn’t launch the general top-10 rankings, nor the fan, participant and media top-10s because it has prior to now. It solely launched the ten gamers unranked and in alphabetical order. Collier, Copper, Ionescu, Stewart, Wilson and Younger all completed within the prime 10, however are already taking part in for Crew USA. Boston, Clark, Hamby and Ogunbowale rounded out the bunch and had been named to Crew WNBA.
The names of the subsequent 36 highest vote-getters (composed of at the very least 9 guards and 15 frontcourt gamers) had been offered to the 12 WNBA coaches to fill the remaining spots on the 12-player roster. Coaches couldn’t vote for their very own gamers, nor might they vote for Crew USA gamers as they had been already assigned to an All-Star workforce.
It’s the first time the sport will characteristic two rookies since 2014, when Chiney Ogwumike, the No. 1 total decide, and Shoni Schimmel, the No. 8 decide, every made the sport. Schimmel was named a starter, making it three consecutive seasons of a rookie being named a starter (Maya Moore in 2011, Griner and Elena Delle Donne in 2012). She received MVP honors.
Taurasi, Griner lead All-Star nods
Taurasi will make her eleventh All-Star look and teammate Griner will make her tenth as they go for a report eighth consecutive gold medal with Crew USA. Griner returned to the All-Star Sport final summer season after receiving an honorary nod in 2022 whereas detained in Russia.
Taurasi and Sue Hen are the one gamers with at the very least 11 All-Star nods and Griner turned the fourth with at the very least 10. The middle is tied with Tamika Catchings for third-most all time.
Ionescu, Plum and Younger are every making their third All-Star appearances. They’re three of 11 former No. 1 picks taking part in in the summertime’s marquee recreation.
Ogwumike is the veteran for Crew WNBA taking part in in her ninth All-Star Sport. Bonner is in her sixth recreation. Boston and Mitchell are every taking part in of their second after their first nods in 2023. It’s the second time in Fever franchise historical past that three gamers are named All-Stars in a single season (2007, with Catchings, Tammy Sutton-Brown and Anna DeForge).
Crew USA has a mixed 67 All-Star appearances and 98 years of WNBA expertise. Crew WNBA has 42 All-Star appearances mixed and 78 seasons of WNBA expertise.
Traditionally, the WNBA skipped All-Star Video games throughout Olympic years due to the month-long break. However in 2021, the league launched the Crew USA vs. Crew WNBA format as an official All-Star Sport. It had been held as a separate exhibition prior to now. Ogunbowale led all scorers with 26 factors to push Crew WNBA over Crew USA in a 2021 upset. It’s the twentieth WNBA All-Star recreation within the league’s 28-year historical past.
Fan voting broke information consistent with upward traits in viewership and attendance. Wilson (217,773) and Clark (216,427) led the ballots after one week of fan voting, every with double the votes Wilson received with in 2023 (95,860) over the two-week span. Clark obtained seven instances the vote this yr.
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