Standout rookies Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese are headed to Phoenix — as teammates. That is an enormous takeaway from Tuesday’s 2024 WNBA All-Star roster announcement.
Clark, the Indiana Fever guard who was April’s No. 1 draft choose, and Reese, the Chicago Sky ahead who has a WNBA-record 11 straight double-doubles — will characterize Group WNBA when it faces Group USA within the league’s All-Star Recreation in Phoenix on July 20 (8:30 p.m. ET, ABC).
Clark and Reese, each vying for rookie of the 12 months, have introduced plenty of power to their groups and the WNBA, however have been considerably reluctant antagonists for the reason that 2023 NCAA remaining. Each downplay the opposite as an enormous rival, however their fan bases have accomplished an infinite quantity of speaking about them. Now, they are going to be on the identical facet, which has “breaking the Web” potential on gameday.
Clark is one in every of three Fever gamers who made Group WNBA, together with Aliyah Boston and Kelsey Mitchell. The Connecticut Solar even have a number of gamers on Group WNBA: DeWanna Bonner and Brionna Jones.
Whereas the Individuals’ 5-on-5 Olympians will make up Group USA, Group WNBA additionally has a 2024 Olympian: Dearica Hamby of the Los Angeles Sparks will compete on the U.S. 3×3 workforce.
When Group WNBA confronted Group USA within the 2021 All-Star Recreation earlier than the Tokyo Olympics, the WNBA stars beat the Olympians 93-85, led by MVP Arike Ogunbowale. The Dallas Wings guard is again for Group WNBA this 12 months, too.
Did the correct gamers make the roster? Had been there any All-Star snubs? What are among the matchups we’re trying ahead to? Michael Voepel, Alexa Philippou and Kevin Pelton break down the All-Star roster.
What was the most important snub for Group WNBA?
Pelton: Ezi Magbegor. In reality, a case might be made that the Seattle Storm middle is essentially the most egregious omission ever from the WNBA All-Star Recreation. She’s on tempo to report extra wins above alternative participant by my WARP metric than any participant not chosen throughout a 12 months the league performed an All-Star Recreation.
What makes this particularly unusual is Magbegor was an All-Star a 12 months in the past, when the Storm have been one of many WNBA’s worst groups. Taking part in with extra expertise after the Storm added Skylar Diggins-Smith and Nneka Ogwumike, Magbegor has seen her scoring common drop barely, however she’s averaging profession highs in rebounds (8.8, good for seventh within the WNBA) and blocks (2.2, third) per sport.
Because the anchor of a top-three protection, Magbegor is a number one contender for Defensive Participant of the 12 months. I had her amongst my six frontcourt picks in my official media vote, which additionally included members of the USA workforce. For coaches to not choose her among the many 12 spots on Group WNBA is baffling.
Philippou: Magbegor additionally earned a vote from me for all the explanations Pelton laid out. In any other case, there aren’t a ton of apparent snubs. Fellow Aussie Alanna Smith had a powerful case as a frontcourt addition, after which there was a jumble of guards (together with Betnijah Laney-Hamilton, Diggins-Smith, DiJonai Carrington, Marina Mabrey, Chennedy Carter) who have been additionally in consideration, however I would not classify any of these backcourt omissions as snubs.
Rhyne Howard (a U.S. 3×3 Olympian) was additionally within the dialog for a roster spot previous to a latest ankle harm that has sidelined her indefinitely.
Is it a shock the Fever have three gamers on Group WNBA workforce regardless of the place they’re within the standings?
Voepel: Not likely, all issues thought-about. There was little doubt Clark and Boston have been going to make it on fan voting. They completed within the prime 10 in voting, as did Hamby and Ogunbowale, together with six Olympians. Boston and Kelsey Mitchell have been additionally each All-Stars final season. With the followers’ votes counting for 50%, it’s a must to view the All-Star Recreation within the WNBA the identical as with different sports activities. It’s as a lot about which gamers the followers wish to see as it’s about who’s perceived to be taking part in the very best. Pleasure over the Fever has rippled via each WNBA metropolis they’ve visited, and that power will probably be there for the All-Star Recreation, too.
And good for the Fever. The final a number of years, they have not been a successful franchise, not to mention a cool and well-liked one. Proper now, there may be an simple buzz about them that longtime Fever followers are thrilled to lastly be experiencing once more.
Philippou: It is not essentially shocking, significantly with a format the place fan voting is weighed closely. (That mentioned, Mitchell was a variety from the league’s head coaches.) Nonetheless, in a vacuum it is a bit perplexing {that a} 13-6 Seattle workforce, for instance, or the Commissioner’s Cup Champion Minnesota Lynx, solely have one Group WNBA consultant apiece whereas the Fever, who’re nonetheless properly under .500, have three.
What would be the most attention-grabbing teammate or opponent duos within the All-Star Recreation?
Voepel: The apparent one is Clark and Reese, whose groups have met thrice already in the course of the common season, together with the 2 high-profile conferences they’d within the NCAA event in 2023 and 2024. Both Clark or Reese lead all rookies in most statistical classes, and having them on the identical facet will probably be must-see TV.
The Aces (4 gamers) and Mercury (three) make up greater than half of Group USA, and have nobody on Group WNBA. However the WNBA squad could have Jones and Bonner taking over Connecticut teammate Alyssa Thomas for Group USA.
Group WNBA’s Jonquel Jones, who performs in the identical Liberty frontcourt as Breanna Stewart, will play in opposition to her and New York guard Sabrina Ionescu within the All-Star Recreation. The Lynx’s prime two gamers, ahead Napheesa Collier (Group USA) and guard Kayla McBride (Group WNBA), are additionally on reverse sides. Similar for Seattle ahead Nneka Ogwumike (Group WNBA) and guard Jewell Loyd (Group USA).
Philippou: It is also value noting that Connecticut’s Bonner and Thomas are fiancees who will probably be dealing with one another in Phoenix. They have been each All-Stars in 2023 — when Thomas proposed to Bonner in Las Vegas — in addition to in 2019 (pre-relationship and earlier than Bonner joined the Solar), however in these cases they have been on the identical workforce.
Which workforce seems to be the favourite?
Voepel: The vibe in 2021 tilted towards Group WNBA, because the gamers had somewhat chip on their shoulders in opposition to the Olympians.
However talking of “vibes,” Ogunbowale mentioned final month that she took herself out of the Olympic pool as a result of she thought “politics” performed a task within the workforce choice.
“If I do know they don’t seem to be selecting me, I am not going to maintain going to those [camps] after I know the vibe,” Ogunbowale mentioned on the “Nightcap” podcast. “I am not going to present you my time if I do know the vibe.”
Not being picked for such a tough workforce to make isn’t any insult — however athletes all the time search for motivation. Group WNBA has that, whereas Group USA does not wish to lose in an All-Star Recreation once more.
Good because the Olympic workforce squad is, may there be any concern that it has three members from the Mercury, a workforce at present beneath .500? We will anticipate plenty of power from Group WNBA. Group USA has to match that to win.
Philippou: The Paris roster is healthier than the Tokyo one and has plenty of chemistry taking part in with one another, whether or not it’s from earlier Olympics and even the 2022 World Cup. Even the newcomers like Kahleah Copper and Ionescu are taking part in among the greatest basketball of their profession proper now. Group WNBA will make issues attention-grabbing because it did in 2021, nevertheless it’s laborious for me to choose in opposition to Group USA this time.