WNBA All-Star Recreation — Vegas comes up aces as Erica Wheeler steals the present
Mechelle VoepelespnW.com
CloseMechelle Voepel covers the WNBA, girls’s faculty basketball, and different faculty sports activities for espnW. Voepel started masking girls’s basketball in 1984, and has been with ESPN since 1996.
LAS VEGAS — It was a WNBA All-Star Recreation by which the one of many smallest gamers, Indiana’s 5-foot-7 guard Erica Wheeler, stole the present with seven Three-pointers, 25 factors and an emotional MVP award.
One of many greatest, Phoenix’s 6-9 Brittney Griner, dunked thrice. And the host Las Vegas Aces placed on fairly a celebration for the most effective for the WNBA.
Staff A’ja Wilson — the injured Aces star wasn’t capable of play however was nonetheless concerned in all of the festivities — beat Staff Elena Delle Donne 129-126, a WNBA All-Star report for mixed factors.
Listed below are among the prime takeaways from the WNBA’s celebration at Mandalay Bay Occasions Middle.
Indiana’s Erica Wheeler, undrafted out of faculty, sought to placed on a present in her All-Star debut. She succeeded. Ethan Miller/Getty Photographs
1. Do not cease believing
Wheeler went undrafted out of Rutgers, after which later was reduce from Atlanta earlier than with the ability to stick within the WNBA, first with New York after which for the previous 4 seasons with Indiana. Whereas Wheeler was nonetheless in faculty, her mom died from most cancers. She has needed to work laborious to get to the place she has gotten.
Saturday was an enormous reward for her perseverance. She cradled the All-Star MVP trophy and wept after the sport, and the remainder of the WNBA gamers teared up alongside together with her. Wheeler mentioned the reward and help she will get from her friends means the world to her.
“My principal aim right now was, ‘I need to be unforgettable as soon as we play this sport.’ And I feel I did that,” she mentioned.
Captain Elena Delle Donne of the Washington Mystics mentioned all of the gamers might relate to Wheeler, even when they’d simpler paths to the WNBA and the All-Star Recreation.
“Simply wanting the place she’s come from,” Delle Donne mentioned. “And doubtless at instances feeling like she was the one one who believed in herself. That is why she’s right here. She continued to imagine, and she or he’s labored so laborious and you’ll see it in her sport from yr to yr.”
Brittney Griner, who had three dunks Saturday, hopes she will be able to spark the Mercury within the season’s second half. Brian Babineau/NBAE through Getty Photographs
2. Will Mercury be rising?
Phoenix was the preseason choose by many to win the WNBA title this season, however proper now the Mercury are in seventh place at 10-Eight. Nonetheless, Griner mentioned she feels assured that they will make a run after the All-Star break.
Do not essentially anticipate any extra dunks from her — though you by no means know. She obtained her 11th of her WNBA profession in regulation video games again in June. This All-Star weekend, she dunked whereas competing throughout Friday’s abilities problem, after which thrice within the first half of Saturday’s sport.
Griner mentioned with veteran guard Diana Taurasi out all however one sport this season after again surgical procedure, she has needed to be extra of a frontrunner on courtroom for the Mercury. She is averaging 19.1 factors and seven.2 rebounds.
“I feel I’ve gotten somewhat bit smarter as I grow old,” mentioned Griner, who had 16 factors and 9 rebounds within the All-Star Recreation for Staff Delle Donne. “I’ve labored on my exterior sport somewhat bit, but it surely’s not the place I need it. Fortunately, I am nonetheless bettering.”
Taurasi was on the All-Star Recreation speaking in regards to the new USA Basketball program she is a part of. She mentioned she’s getting nearer to returning to the Mercury. The one sport she has performed was on July 12.
“My again feels nice,” Taurasi mentioned. “I am just about 100 p.c recovered. Now I am simply going via my very own coaching camp two months after the workforce. I gave it a go in Connecticut two weeks in the past, and I used to be simply not prepared. I am actually shut.”
The entire Chicago Sky workforce confirmed as much as cheer on their All-Stars, together with married couple Allie Quigley, left, and Courtney Vandersloot. AP Picture/John Locher
Three. Sky prepared for a surge
The Chicago Sky had three All-Stars — Diamond DeShields, Allie Quigley and Courtney Vandersloot — however the remainder of the workforce made it to Las Vegas to help them. And to get pleasure from Vegas, after all.
The Sky’s All-Stars all did their factor right here. DeShields received the talents contest on Friday, after which had 13 factors and 5 rebounds within the sport for Staff Wilson. Quigley had 14 factors, making 4 of her specialty Three-pointers, additionally for Wilson’s workforce. A few Quigley’s Three-pointers got here with Staff Delle Donne’s Vandersloot, each her teammate and her spouse, guarding. And Vandersloot, the passing whiz, had eight assists.
The Sky have missed the playoffs the previous two years, however proper now they’re tied with the Los Angeles Sparks in fourth place at 11-Eight. With such a present of workforce camaraderie right here, the Sky are prepared for a giant push via remainder of the season.
“I feel we’re all considering the identical factor: We’ve such an enormous alternative,” Quigley mentioned. “We have pinpointed precisely our weaknesses. Let’s attempt to decrease them if we will. I feel we might be one of the thrilling groups to observe.”
four. Odds and ends from Saturday’s scorefest
2 Associated
Considerably misplaced Saturday was the participant who made extra photographs than anyone: Los Angeles’ Nneka Ogwumike. She was 11-of-15 from the sphere for 22 factors for Staff Delle Donne. And her Sparks teammate, Chelsea Grey, had essentially the most assists with 10 for Staff Wilson.
All-Star video games will not be recognized for his or her protection, after all, however there truly have been a few blocked photographs Saturday: one by Washington’s Delle Donne and one by Connecticut’s Jonquel Jones, who was additionally on Staff Delle Donne.
There often aren’t many fouls known as, both, however there have been 5 free throws shot — all by Staff Delle Donne. Two have been by the captain herself, and three have been from Phoenix’s DeWanna Bonner.
It was the second season of this format by which the highest two All-Star vote-getters have been workforce captains. For the second season in a row, Delle Donne’s workforce misplaced.
Although she did not play due to damage, captain A’ja Wilson and the Las Vegas Aces proved to achieve success All-Star hosts. Brian Babineau/NBAE through Getty Photographs
5. Vegas was a significant hit
There was common settlement on this: Las Vegas, which is in its second season with the Aces, was a top-notch WNBA All-Star Recreation venue. From the ever-present signage selling the sport (not simply at Mandalay Bay resort, however throughout The Strip), to the pregame and in-game leisure, to the fan fest, all the pieces was performed in a giant method. And the gamers mentioned they cherished the expertise.
Aces All-Stars Wilson, Liz Cambage and Kayla McBride all have been speaking up the advantages of enjoying in Las Vegas and the help of proprietor MGM Resorts Worldwide. On a weekend when WNBA commissioner Cathy Engelbert presided over her first official occasion — she took over on July 17 — the Aces confirmed themselves to be a mannequin franchise.
“This neighborhood has embraced us since day one,” mentioned McBride, who had 13 factors for Staff Wilson. “This was our probability to indicate out.”