Seattle Storm guard Sue Bird, along with Minnesota Lynx center Sylvia Fowles, Las Vegas Aces’ forward A’ja Wilson, and Seattle forward Breanna Stewart – highlight the list of 10 players, including four guards and six frontcourt players from across the WNBA, who were selected by fans, current WNBA players and media to start in AT&T WNBA All-Star 2022.
The 2022 WNBA All-Star Game will be played at Wintrust Arena in Chicago, home of the defending WNBA Champion Chicago Sky, on Sunday, July 10, and will be the centerpiece of a weekend full of WNBA activities.
Wilson and Stewart, by virtue of being the two All-Star starters who finished with the most fan votes, will serve as official team co-captains.
They will joined as co-captains by Fowles and Bird, who both have announced their retirement upon conclusion of the 2022 season after legendary careers spanning almost two decades. Bird will be paired with Wilson; Fowles will be paired with Stewart.
“For icons like Sylvia and Sue to be voted into the AT&T WNBA All-Star Game as starters in their 15th and 19th seasons, respectively, is extraordinary,” said WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert.
“And when you see the starting lineups dotted with first-time All-Stars like Sabrina Ionescu, Kelsey Plum, and Jackie Young, it just seems right that Sylvia and Sue – who have said this will be their final season – join A’ja and Breanna as co-captains for an All-Star event that will in some ways symbolize the passing of the torch to a new generation of WNBA stars,” she continued.”
In addition, Engelbert named Phoenix Mercury center Brittney Griner, who was selected to seven prior AT&T WNBA All-Star Games, an honorary All-Star and starter.
“During each season of Brittney’s career in which there has been an All-Star Game, she has been selected as an All-Star,” said Engelbert. “It is not difficult to imagine that if BG were here with us this season, she would once again be selected and would, no doubt, show off her incredible talents. So, it is only fitting that she be named as an honorary starter today and we continue to work on her safe return to the U.S.”
Joining Wilson, Stewart, and Fowles as AT&T All-Star Game starters in the frontcourt are 2021 WNBA MVP Connecticut Sun forward Jonquel Jones, Los Angeles Sparks’ forward Nneka Ogwumike, and Chicago Sky forward-center Candace Parker. The starting guards, in addition to Bird, are the New York Liberty’s Sabrina Ionescu and Las Vegas Aces’ teammates Kelsey Plum and Jackie Young.
Voting will now begin for the 12 reserves for AT&T WNBA All-Star 2022, which will be selected by the league’s head coaches, and will be announced on Tuesday, June 28.
Coaches will vote for three guards, five frontcourt players and four players at either position regardless of conference. They may not vote for their own players. If a player is unable to play in AT&T WNBA All-Star 2022 for any reason, a replacement player will be named to the roster by Commissioner Engelbert.
The co-captains will select their respective All-Star rosters during ESPN’s broadcast of the WNBA All-Star Team Selection Special on Saturday, July 2 (3 p.m. ET), choosing first from the remaining pool of eight starters and then from the pool of 12 reserves.
AT&T WNBA All-Star 2022 Starter Pool
- Sue Bird, Storm (13th All-Star selection): Bird, who announced that she will retire following the 2022 WNBA season, has been selected to more AT&T WNBA All-Star Games than any player in league history. Only Tamika Catchings and Diana Taurasi, each of whom was selected 10 times, have earned double-digit selections. Bird is the league’s career leader in assists (3,122) and games played (561).
- Sylvia Fowles, Lynx (8th All-Star selection): The WNBA’s career leader in total rebounds (3,835), defensive rebounds (2,743), and field goal percentage (.598), Fowles has announced that 2022 will be her final season. The 2017 Kia WNBA MVP and two-time Finals MVP is averaging 16.5 points per game and a league-leading 10.3 rebounds per game.
- Sabrina Ionescu, Liberty (1st All-Star selection): Ionescu, the No. 1 overall selection in the 2020 WNBA Draft presented by State Farm makes her All-Star debut. She leads the Liberty in scoring and assists with career-best figures of 16.7 ppg and 6.1 apg. On June 12, Ionescu became the youngest player in WNBA history to record multiple triple-doubles in a career.
- Jonquel Jones, Sun (4th All-Star selection): The reigning Kia WNBA MVP and winner of the 2018 Kia WNBA Sixth Player of the Year and 2017 Kia WNBA Most Improved Player award, Jones will play in the All-Star Game for the fourth time. Jones is pacing the Sun with 15.1 points per game and ranks third in the league with 9.4 rebounds per game.
- Nneka Ogwumike, Sparks (7th All-Star selection): Ogwumike, the 2016 Kia WNBA MVP and champion, also is a three-time winner of the WNBA’s Kim Perrot Sportsmanship Award. Ogwumike leads the Sparks in scoring (18.1 points per game) and rebounding (7.7 rebounds per game).
- Candace Parker, Sky (7th All-Star selection): A two-time Kia WNBA MVP and two-time WNBA champion, Parker is the only player in WNBA history to win MVP and Rookie of the Year honors in the same season (2008). The MVP of the 2013 AT&T WNBA All-Star Game, who is averaging 12.7 points per game and 8.1 rebounds, will play in front of her hometown Chicago crowd.
- Kelsey Plum, Aces (1st All-Star selection): Plum, the No. 1 overall selection in the 2017 WNBA Draft presented by State Farm and the Kia WNBA Sixth Player of the Year in 2021, makes her All-Star debut. Her career-high and team-leading 20.3 points per game have helped the Aces generate the league’s No. 1-scoring offense (91.5).
- Breanna Stewart, Storm (4th All-Star selection): The 2018 Kia WNBA MVP, a two-time WNBA Finals MVP and a three-time league champion, Stewart is leading the WNBA in scoring with a career-high tying 21.8 points per game and contributing 7.6 rebounds per game.
- A‘ja Wilson, Aces (4th All-Star selection): The 2020 Kia WNBA MVP and 2018 Kia WNBA Rookie of the Year is playing in her fourth consecutive AT&T WNBA All-Star Game. She previously served as an All-Star captain when Team Wilson defeated Team Delle Donne in the 2019 AT&T WNBA All-Star Game. Wilson is averaging 18.4 points per game and ranks second in the league at 9.6 rebounds per game.
- Jackie Young, Aces (1st All-Star selection): The first overall pick in the 2019 WNBA Draft presented by State Farm, Young is one of eight No. 1 overall picks selected as starters, along with Bird (2002), Parker (2008), Ogwumike (2012), Stewart (2016), Plum (2017), Wilson (2018), and Ionescu (2020). Young is averaging a career-best 18.2 points per game. Young is averaging a career-best 18.2 points per game and contributing 4.2 rebounds and 3.9 assists per game.