The WNBA is on fireplace. Caitlin Clark’s arrival within the league, paired with unprecedented curiosity in ladies’s basketball normally, has led to extra consideration than the WNBA has ever had earlier than. Ratings are up 183 percent, social media is buzzing about moments on a nightly foundation, and now All Star voting is in — with astounding outcomes.
Caitlin Clark and Aliyah Boston, the Indiana Fever’s 1-2 punch led all gamers in voting, however there was an enormous trickle down impact all through the league.
Over 700,000 individuals voted for Clark, with Boston garnering over 600,000 votes. This got here after the 2023 WNBA All Star sport noticed A’Ja Wilson win the fan vote with 95,680. It’s over a 700 % enhance in voting, with Wilson herself getting over six instances them variety of votes she did a yr in the past — and that was solely adequate to complete third.
Now, clearly there’s some fairly huge fan tilt occurring right here, as there may be in all fan voting. Clark and Boston are sixteenth and twenty sixth in scoring respectively, whereas the likes of Arike Ogunbowale, Kahleah Copper, and Napheesa Collier have been lighting up the league with out garnering close to the quantity of consideration.
Nobody is complaining although, even with Clark and Fever followers wrecking the vote. Ultimately everybody who needs to be taking part in within the All Star sport is, and it’s going to result in an interesting situation the place Clark is taking part in alongside her faculty and now WNBA rival Angel Reese.
What is the 2024 WNBA All Star sport format?
With this being an Olympic yr the WNBA is altering up the format of the sport. Instead of being a participant draft, this yr’s sport will put the WNBA All-Stars up towards these chosen to characterize Team USA on the Olympic Games. There’s undoubtedly some crossover right here, but it surely’s led to there being very totally different rosters than we’ve seen prior to now.
We’re but to know the beginning lineups for every workforce, however right here’s who made the rosters for the sport on July 20.
WNBA All-Stars
F DeWanna Bonner, Connecticut Sun
F Aliyah Boston, Indiana Fever
G Caitlin Clark, Indiana Fever
G Allisha Gray, Atlanta Dream
F Dearica Hamby, Los Angeles Sparks
F Brionna Jones, Connecticut Sun
C Jonquel Jones, New York Liberty
G Kayla McBride, Minnesota Lynx
G Kelsey Mitchell, Indiana Fever
G Arika Ogunbowale, Dallas Wings
F Nneka Ogwumike, Seattle Storm
F Angel Reese, Chicago Sky
Team USA
F Napheesa Collier, Minnesota Lynx
G Kahleah Copper, Phoenix Mercury
G Chelsea Gray, Las Vegas Aces
C Brittney Griner, Phoenix Mercury
G Sabrina Ionescu, New York Liberty
G Jewell Lloyd, Seattle Storm
G Kelsey Plum, Las Vegas Aces
F Breanna Stewart, New York Liberty
G Diana Taurasi, Phoenix Mercury
F Alyssa Thomas, Connecticut Sun
F A’ja Wilson, Las Vegas Aces
G Jackie Young, Las Vegas Aces
These are each good rosters, however goodness Team USA is uncontrolled. The workforce already has the in-built chemistry of FOUR of the Aces’ beginning 5, after which they’re including ludicrous expertise like Collier, Copper, Stewart and Ionescu on prime of it. There isn’t actually a planet through which the WNBA workforce can dangle with Team USA, but it surely’s nonetheless going to be fascinating to observe on July 20.
Full WNBA All-Star Weekend schedule
- Friday, July 19: WNBA Three-Point Contest, WNBA Skills Competition — 6 p.m. ET, ESPN
- Saturday, July 20: WNBA vs. Team USA All-Star Game — 8:30 p.m. ET, ABC
