Snubs are abound in the 2022 WNBA All-Star Game, though a deserving set of 24 players were named. Let’s get right into it.
Here are the 12 players selected as All-Star Game reserves
While a combination of fan votes (50%), media votes (25%) and player votes (25%) made up the decision on who will start in the All-Star Game, coaches selected the remaining list of All-Stars which includes: Ariel Atkins, Kahleah Copper, Skylar Diggins-Smith, Dearica Hamby, Natasha Howard, Rhyne Howard, Jewell Loyd, Brionna Jones, Emma Meesseman, Arike Ogunbowale, Alyssa Thomas and Courtney Vandersloot.
Here’s who will start
The starters include A’ja Wilson and Sue Bird as co-captains of one team to be drafted on July 2 and Breanna Stewart and Sylvia Fowles as co-captains of the other. They were named last week alongside Kelsey Plum, Jackie Young, Sabrina Ionescu, Jonquel Jones, Candace Parker, and Nneka Ogwumike.
These 6 players have legit cases as snubs
Kelsey Mitchell anyone? The league’s fourth-leading scorer may play for (debatably) the worst team in the league, but her 19.1 points on 40.2% 3-point shooting were overlooked by coaches. Those look like All-Star numbers to me.
Other shocking names left off the list include Allisha Gray, the two-way wing seeing the best season of her career on both sides of the ball, DeWanna Bonner, Tina Charles, Chelsea Gray and Diana Taurasi. Those last four names have 26 All-Star appearances combined.
What’s next?
The WNBA All-Star Draft will commence on July 2 at 3 ET on ESPN. There, the co-captains will first select the eight remaining starters, then the 12 reserves. It’s unclear in which order teams will draft and how the players will decide who to pick as co-captains.
The game will take place on July 11 at 1 ET on ABC.