Connecticut Sun’s Alyssa Thomas, DeWanna Bonner, and Washington Mystics’ Elena Delle Donne are among the headline players selected as reserves for the WNBA All-Star Game. The announcement was made by the league’s coaches on Saturday.
Alyssa Thomas, who will be making her fourth All-Star appearance, has been recognized as the first WNBA player to achieve three triple-doubles in a single season. She accomplished this remarkable feat within a span of just seven days, including two consecutive triple-doubles. Her teammate, DeWanna Bonner, will also be participating in her fifth All-Star Game.
The Atlanta Dream will see two of their players, Allisha Gray and Cheyenne Parker, making their debut appearances in the game. Additionally, it is the first All-Star appearance for Indiana Fever’s Kelsey Mitchell and Seattle Storm’s Ezi Magbegor.
Other reserves who were chosen include Elena Delle Donne from the Washington Mystics, Kelsey Plum from the Las Vegas Aces, Sabrina Ionescu and Courtney Vandersloot from the New York Liberty, Napheesa Collier from the Minnesota Lynx, and Kahleah Copper from the Chicago Sky.
The players will have to wait one more week to find out which team they will be playing on for the All-Star Game, scheduled to take place in Las Vegas on July 15. The team captains, A’ja Wilson and Breanna Stewart, will be responsible for drafting the players next Saturday.
The Las Vegas Aces, under the guidance of coach Becky Hammon, will be leading A’ja Wilson’s team, while coach Stephanie White of the Connecticut Sun will be leading Breanna Stewart’s team.
Elena Delle Donne, a two-time captain, is expecting to make her seventh All-Star appearance. However, this will be her first since 2019 due to injuries and illnesses in recent seasons. She expressed her excitement at the possibility of playing alongside her former USA Basketball teammate, Brittney Griner, who was selected as a starter last week.
The Las Vegas Aces will be well-represented in the All-Star Game, with Kelsey Plum becoming the fourth member of the team to make it to the roster, joining A’ja Wilson, Jackie Young, and Chelsea Gray. Plum’s outstanding performance in last year’s game, where she scored 30 points and earned the MVP honors, is certainly worth looking forward to.
The New York Liberty has a strong presence in the game, with their starting backcourt of Sabrina Ionescu and Courtney Vandersloot joining their teammate Breanna Stewart. This will be Ionescu’s second appearance and Vandersloot’s fifth in the All-Star Game.
Napheesa Collier from the Minnesota Lynx is having a sensational season, averaging 22.4 points, which is over six points above her previous career best. Chicago Sky’s Kahleah Copper, who was awarded the 2021 WNBA Finals MVP honors, will be making her third All-Star appearance.
Last week, the All-Star starters were announced, which included Nneka Ogwumike from the Los Angeles Sparks, Arike Ogunbowale and Satou Sabally from the Dallas Wings, Aliyah Boston from the Indiana Fever, and Jewell Loyd from the Seattle Storm.
This year’s All-Star Game will feature at least one representative from each of the 12 teams in the league, a first since 2015. The anticipation for the game is building, and fans are excited to see these talented players showcase their skills on the court.
*Note: The exact word count was not provided for the original news article.
