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Cailtin Clark, left, and Angel Reese are the primary two rookie WNBA All-Stars in the identical season since 2014.
CNN
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Rookies Caitlin Clark of the Indiana Fever and Angel Reese of the Chicago Sky have been named to their first WNBA All-Star crew, the league introduced Tuesday.
That is the primary time two rookies are WNBA All-Stars in the identical season since 2014.
Reese, who has additionally been named WNBA Rookie of the Month for June, was emotional after studying about her All-Star choice.
“I’m simply so completely happy,” she informed reporters by means of tears. “All of the work I put in, coming into this league so many individuals doubted me – didn’t assume my sport would translate and I wouldn’t be the participant that I used to be in faculty … I trusted the method and I believed.”
Towards the Atlanta Dream on Tuesday, Reese posted her eleventh consecutive double-double – extending her single-season league file – with a franchise-record 19 rebounds within the Sky’s 85-77 win. She is now inside one in every of Candace Parker’s all-time file for consecutive double-doubles, which was achieved throughout two seasons.
Clark, in the meantime, was named Rookie of the Month in Might and has persistently drawn enormous crowds throughout her time within the WNBA. On Tuesday, 20,366 watched her Fever lose 88-69 in opposition to the Las Vegas Aces, the fifth-biggest crowd in league historical past and largest since 1999.
“I don’t assume I’ve ever been her teammate earlier than, even at USA Basketball,” Clark stated about linking up with former faculty rival Reese, per ESPN. “I do know folks shall be actually enthusiastic about it, however I hope it doesn’t take away from everybody else.
“Clearly, that is one thing that’s actually exhausting to perform, so one of the best we are able to rejoice all of them shall be nice and simply gonna clearly soak within the expertise ‘trigger, like, you by no means know should you’re ever gonna be capable to get again there and it’ll be enjoyable for all of us.
Becoming a member of the 2 first-timers on the 12-woman Staff WNBA roster are two-time All-Star Aliyah Boston (Fever), four-time All-Star Arike Ogunbowale (Dallas Wings) and nine-time All-Star Nneka Ogwumike (Seattle Storm).
Staff WNBA will tackle the USA Basketball Girls’s Nationwide Staff on the Footprint Middle in Phoenix for a sold-out sport on July 20.
Six-time All-Star A’ja Wilson of the Las Vegas Aces headlines the Staff USA squad for the twentieth All-Star sport. Becoming a member of Wilson are six-time All-Star Breanna Stewart (New York Liberty), 11-time All-Star Diana Taurasi (Phoenix Mercury) and 10-time All-Star Brittney Griner (Mercury).
This would be the second time the All-Star sport will characteristic the USA Basketball vs. Staff WNBA format.
In 2021, Staff WNBA defeated Staff USA 93-85 in Las Vegas previous to the Tokyo Olympics.
The All-Stars had been chosen by followers (50% of the vote), present WNBA gamers (25%) and a nationwide panel of broadcasters and sportswriters (25%).