Indiana Fever Stars Unite at WNBA All-Star Game
The Indiana Fever’s three All-Stars will unite on the same team for the WNBA All-Star Game in Indianapolis on July 19. The teams, selected by captains Caitlin Clark of the Fever and Napheesa Collier of the Minnesota Lynx, were announced on Tuesday.
Clark and Collier, the two players most voted for by the fans, first chose the remaining eight starters and then completed their teams by selecting the 12 reserves. They also made a coaching trade.
Cheryl Reeve, coach of the Lynx, was initially assigned to coach Team Clark, as the coach of the team with the best record in the league as of July 3rd was going to the player with the most votes. Sandy Brondello, coach of the New York Liberty, the team with the second-best record at the time, was originally assigned to Team Collier. However, since Reeve is Collier’s coach on the Lynx, the captains chose to swap coaches.Clark selected her two Fever teammates available in the draft: forward/center Aliyah Boston (No. 1 pick) and guard Kelsey Mitchell (No. 10 pick). Completing Team Clark’s starters, along with her and Boston, are Liberty guard Sabrina Ionescu (No. 3 pick), three-time WNBA MVP A’ja Wilson of the Las Vegas Aces (No. 5) and Phoenix Mercury forward Satou Sabally (No. 7).
The Team Clark reserves were led by Mitchell, followed by Seattle Storm forward Gabby Williams (No. 12 pick), Washington Mystics guard Sonia Citron (No. 14), and forward Kiki Iriafen (No. 16), Aces guard Jackie Young (No. 18), and Golden State Valkyries forward Kayla Thornton (No. 20).
Collier selected her former UConn and USA Basketball teammate, Liberty forward-center Breanna Stewart, with the second pick. The rest of Team Collier’s starters are Atlanta Dream guard Allisha Gray (No. 4 pick), Storm forward-center Nneka Ogwumike (No. 6) and Dallas Wings guard Paige Bueckers (No. 8).
The reserves for Team Collier are her Lynx teammate, guard Courtney Williams (No. 9 pick), Storm guard Skylar Diggins (No. 11), Chicago Sky forward-center Angel Reese (No. 13), Mercury forward-center Alyssa Thomas (No. 15), Los Angeles Sparks guard Kelsey Plum (No. 17), and Atlanta guard Rhyne Howard (No. 19).
The players considered the possibility of trading players, but that did not happen. Clark initially offered Sabally for Stewart, so that Brondello could coach both Liberty players with Stewart and Ionescu. But Collier countered by asking Clark to give up Boston for Stewart, and it was not possible.
The Three-Point Contest and the Skills Challenge of the All-Star are scheduled for July 18. The All-Star Game will take place on July 19. All events will be held at Gainbridge Fieldhouse, home of the Fever.
