Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese, two standout rookies, have been selected to join the WNBA All-Star team that will face off against the US Olympic team led by A’ja Wilson and Breanna Stewart. The selection, announced on Tuesday, came through a combined voting process involving media, players, fans, and the league’s coaches. The game is scheduled to take place in Phoenix on July 20.
Clark earned the most votes from fans, totaling 700,735, with her Indiana teammate Aliyah Boston coming in second, trailing by 72,000 votes. Reese secured the fifth spot with 381,518 votes. Wilson and Stewart were among the top vote-getters as well, with Wilson receiving 607,300 votes and Stewart 424,135.
Both Clark and Reese have significantly boosted the WNBA in terms of viewership, merchandise sales, and attendance. They have also excelled on the court, with Clark ranking third in assists per game at 6.9, and Reese leading the league in rebounds with 11.4 per game. Their selection marks only the eighth time that two rookies have made it to the All-Star team, the most recent occurrence being in 2014 with Shoni Schimmel and Chiney Ogwumike.
Joining Clark and Reese on the WNBA All-Star team are DeWanna Bonner and Brionna Jones from Connecticut, Allisha Gray from Atlanta, Dearica Hamby from Los Angeles, Jonquel Jones from New York, Kayla McBride from Minnesota, Kelsey Mitchell from Indiana, Nneka Ogwumike from Seattle, and Arike Ogunbowale from Dallas.