Delle Donne, Wilson prime ASG vote, to be captains
Mechelle VoepelespnW.com
CloseMechelle Voepel covers the WNBA, girls’s faculty basketball, and different faculty sports activities for espnW. Voepel started protecting girls’s basketball in 1984, and has been with ESPN since 1996.
Washington Mystics ahead Elena Delle Donne and Las Vegas Aces ahead A’ja Wilson led fan voting and would be the captains for the upcoming WNBA All-Star Recreation.
It is the second yr in a row that Delle Donne will probably be a captain and select her workforce underneath the present format.
Wilson’s squad would be the hometown favourite, although, as the sport will probably be held at Mandalay Bay Occasions Heart in Las Vegas on July 27 (ABC, three:30 p.m. ET). Wilson additionally was an All-Star final season as a rookie.
The opposite prime eight vote-getters who will make up the pool of starters additionally had been introduced Thursday, led by middle Liz Cambage, Wilson’s Aces teammate. She was adopted by Los Angeles Sparks guard Chelsea Grey, Phoenix Mercury middle Brittney Griner, Seattle Storm ahead Natasha Howard, Connecticut Solar ahead Jonquel Jones, Seattle guard Jewell Loyd, Las Vegas guard Kayla McBride and New York Liberty guard Kia Nurse.
Followers accounted for 50% of the vote to find out the starters, whereas present WNBA gamers and a media panel accounted for 25% every. Delle Donne completed with 32,460 fan votes, adopted by Wilson with 26,475.
The WNBA’s head coaches will vote for the 12 reserves — three guards, 5 frontcourt gamers and 4 at both place — who will probably be introduced Monday. Coaches can not vote for their very own gamers.
Delle Donne and Wilson then will draft their rosters, starting with the starters and adopted by the pool of reserves. Delle Donne could have the primary choice with the starters, and Wilson will choose first with the reserves.
The date of the All-Star draft will probably be introduced later.
Delle Donne, who’s averaging 15.eight factors and eight.2 rebounds, is listed as day-to-day after struggling a nasal fracture in Sunday’s loss at Los Angeles. She did not play in Wednesday’s loss to Phoenix, however she ought to be capable to play within the All-Star Recreation.
Wilson, averaging 16.four factors and seven.1 rebounds, has performed each sport this season for the Aces.
Among the many beginning pool, Delle Donne and Griner cleared the path in expertise, as this would be the sixth time each have been voted All-Stars. It is the primary All-Star choice for Howard and Nurse.