WNBA All-Stars including Liberty's Ionescu light up Chicago
Just like that, the halfway point of the 2022 WNBA season is here. For the first time in league history, Chicago is hosting the WNBA All-Star Game Sunday.
The WNBA switched to a team-captain format for the All-Star Game in 2018. This year, the two sides will be led by former UConn women’s basketball star and Seattle Storm forward Breanna Stewart and Las Vegas Aces forward A’ja Wilson, who received the most fan votes.
The Liberty's Sabrina Ionescu and Natasha Howard will play for Team Wilson.
Three Connecticut Sun players and two former UConn legends in total will be taking part in this weekend’s festivities.
Joining Stewart and Wilson as co-captains are former UConn star and Storm guard Sue Bird and Minnesota Lynx center Sylvia Fowles, both in their final seasons of professional basketball. Stewart and Bird were originally on opposite sides, but Stewart asked for a trade during the draft of team rosters. As such, the Huskies duo of Stewart and Bird will co-captain Team Stewart, coached by Chicago Sky coach James Wade, while Wilson and Fowles will lead Team Wilson, coached by Las Vegas Aces coach Becky Hammon.
Three Connecticut Sun players were named All-Stars.
Jonquel Jones is making her fourth appearance as an All-Star after being named the league’s MVP last season. Averaging 14.6 points, 8.9 rebounds and 1.8 assists per game this year, Jones will be a starter for Team Stewart after being selected fourth overall in the draft.
Alyssa Thomas and Brionna Jones were both selected as All-Star reserves by league coaches. Thomas, who sat out the majority of last season with an Achilles tear, is making her third All-Star appearance and her first since 2019. She’s averaging 13.3 points, 7.7 rebounds, 5.6 assists and 1.4 steals per game this season.
Her fellow former Maryland star Brionna Jones is making her second consecutive All-Star appearance. A front-runner for sixth woman of the year, she’s averaging 13.5 points, 4.8 rebounds, 1.3 assists and 1.3 steals per game this season.
Phoenix Mercury star Brittney Griner, who has been detained in Russia since Feb. 17, was named an honorary starter.
ROSTERS
Team Wilson
A’ja Wilson, Las Vegas Aces *
Sylvia Fowles, Minnesota Lynx *
Candace Parker, Chicago Sky *
Kelsey Plum, Las Vegas Aces *
Sabrina Ionescu, Liberty *
Rhyne Howard, Atlanta Dream
Dearica Hamby, Las Vegas Aces
Courtney Vandersloot, Chicago Sky
Ariel Atkins, Washington Mystics
Brionna Jones, Connecticut Sun
Natasha Howard, Liberty
Team Stewart
Breanna Stewart, Seattle Storm *
Sue Bird, Seattle Storm *
Jackie Young, Las Vegas Aces *
Jonquel Jones, Connecticut Sun *
Nneka Ogwumike, Los Angeles Sparks *
Jewell Loyd, Seattle Storm
Kahleah Copper, Chicago Sky
Skylar Diggins-Smith, Phoenix Mercury
Alyssa Thomas, Connecticut Sun
Arike Ogunbowale, Dallas Wings
Emma Meesseman, Chicago Sky
* starter