2019 WNBA All-Star Game explained

2019 WNBA All-Star Game
Visitor:Team Delle Donne
Home:Team Wilson
Visitor Total:126
Home Total:129
Visitor Qtr1:23
Visitor Qtr2:40
Visitor Qtr3:32
Visitor Qtr4:31
Home Qtr1:39
Home Qtr2:38
Home Qtr3:28
Home Qtr4:24
Date:July 27, 2019
Arena:Mandalay Bay Events Center
City:Las Vegas, Nevada
Mvp:Erica Wheeler (Team Wilson)
Referees:
  1. 42 Roy Gulbeyan
  2. 13 Cheryl Flores
  3. 15 Fatou Cissoko-Stephens
Attendance:9,157
Network:United States: ABC
Canada: TSN5/SN1
Prev Year:2018
Next Year:2021
Wnba:yes

The 2019 WNBA All-Star Game was an exhibition basketball game played on July 27, 2019. The Las Vegas Aces hosted the WNBA All-Star Game for the first time.[1]

Rosters

Selection

On June 12, the WNBA announced that 2019 would similar roster selection process to the 2018 WNBA All-Star Game. Fans, WNBA players, head coaches, sports writers, and broadcasters would all be able to vote for All Stars. All groups could fill out a ballot of four guards and six front court players. Players and coaches could not vote for members of their own team. Voting began on June 14, 2019, at 2 PM EDT and ended on July 9, 2019, at 2 PM EDT.

The voting was weighted as follows:

Voting groupVote weight
Fans50%
WNBA players25%
Sports media25%

Players were not allowed to vote for their own teammates. The top 10 players receiving votes based on this weighting would be selected to the All-Star Game. These ten players would be deemed the starters. The starters were revealed on July 11, 2019. After the announcement of the starters, the WNBA's head coaches selected the 12 reserves. Coaches voted for three guards, five frontcourt players, and four players at either position regardless of conference. They could not vote for their own players. The reserves were announced on Monday, July 15. The top two vote-getters were captains of the two All-Star teams and selected their teams from the pool of 8 remaining starters and the 12 reserves.[2] On July 18, it was announced that the selection process would be televised on ESPN2. The selection show aired on July 23, at 9:30 PM ET, prior to the Seattle Storm vs. Las Vegas Aces game that was also televised on ESPN2.[3]

Head coaches

The head coaches of the two teams will be the head coaches from the two WNBA teams with the best records following games on July 12.[2] On July 11, it was determined that Bill Laimbeer of the Las Vegas Aces and Mike Thibault of the Washington Mystics would be the two All-Star Head Coaches, as their teams had the best records in the WNBA. Laimbeer would coach Team Delle Donne, as the Aces had the best record and Delle Donne had the most All-Star votes. That left Thibault to coach Team Wilson. For both coaches, this was their third time coaching in an All-Star Game.[4]

All-Star Pool

The players for the All-Star Game were selected by the voting process described above. The starters were announced on July 11, 2019, with Elena Delle Donne and A'ja Wilson leading the vote meaning they would be captains of the two All-Star teams.[5] The player line-up was completed when the reserves were announced on July 15, 2019.[6] On July 22, 2019, the league announced that Napheesa Collier was selected as a replacement player for the injured A'ja Wilson.[7]

Eastern Conference All-Stars
PosPlayerTeamNo. of selections
Players
GDiamond DeShieldsChicago Sky1
GKia NurseNew York Liberty1
GAllie QuigleyChicago Sky3
GKristi ToliverWashington Mystics3
GCourtney VanderslootChicago Sky2
GErica WheelerIndiana Fever1
FElena Delle DonneWashington Mystics6
FCandice DupreeIndiana Fever7
F Alyssa ThomasConnecticut Sun2
F/CJonquel JonesConnecticut Sun2
CTina CharlesNew York Liberty7
Western Conference All-Stars
PosPlayerTeamNo. of selections
Players
GChelsea GrayLos Angeles Sparks3
GJewell LoydSeattle Storm2
GKayla McBrideLas Vegas Aces3
GOdyssey SimsMinnesota Lynx1
FPhoenix Mercury3
FNatasha HowardSeattle Storm1
FNneka OgwumikeLos Angeles Sparks6
F A'ja WilsonLas Vegas Aces2
CLiz CambageLas Vegas Aces3
CSylvia FowlesMinnesota Lynx6
CPhoenix Mercury6
FMinnesota Lynx1

All-Star Selections per team

The Las Vegas Aces, Chicago Sky, and Minnesota Lynx led the league with three players selected to the All-Star team. No players were selected from the Atlanta Dream or the Dallas Wings.

Number of All-Star players per team!Team!Number of players
Atlanta Dream0
Chicago Sky3
Connecticut Sun2
Indiana Fever2
New York Liberty2
Washington Mystics2
Dallas Wings0
Las Vegas Aces3
Los Angeles Sparks2
Minnesota Lynx3
Phoenix Mercury2
Seattle Storm2

Final rosters

Team Delle Donne
PosPlayerTeamNo. of selections
Starters
GJewell LoydSeattle Storm2
GKia NurseNew York Liberty1
FElena Delle DonneWashington Mystics6
F/CJonquel JonesConnecticut Sun2
CPhoenix Mercury6
Reserves
GKristi ToliverWashington Mystics3
GCourtney VanderslootChicago Sky2
FPhoenix Mercury3
FNneka OgwumikeLos Angeles Sparks6
F Alyssa ThomasConnecticut Sun2
CTina CharlesNew York Liberty7
Head coach: Mike Thibault (Washington Mystics)
Team Wilson
PosPlayerTeamNo. of selections
Starters
GChelsea GrayLos Angeles Sparks3
GKayla McBrideLas Vegas Aces3
FNatasha HowardSeattle Storm1
F A'ja WilsonLas Vegas Aces2
CLiz CambageLas Vegas Aces3
Reserves
GDiamond DeShieldsChicago Sky1
GOdyssey SimsMinnesota Lynx1
GAllie QuigleyChicago Sky3
GErica WheelerIndiana Fever1
FMinnesota Lynx1
FCandice DupreeIndiana Fever7
CSylvia FowlesMinnesota Lynx6
Head coach: Bill Laimbeer (Las Vegas Aces)
Rosters as of July 16, 2019.
A'ja Wilson was unable to play due to injury.[8]
Napheesa Collier was selected as Wilson's replacement.[8]
Allie Quigley was selected to start in place of Wilson.[9]

Game

Two rule changes were implemented for the game:

  1. A 20-second shot clock.
  2. Substitutions were allowed during live play.

Source:[10]

Three-Point Contest & Skills Challenge

On June 17, 2019, it was announced that there would be a Three-Point Contest and Skills challenge on July 25, the night before the All-Star game. This marked the first time these two events had been held since 2006.[11]

Rules

The Three-Point Contest is a two-round, timed competition in which five shooting locations are positioned around the three-point arc. Four racks contain four WNBA balls (each worth one point) and one “money” ball (worth two points). The fifth station is a special “all money ball” rack, which each participant can place at any of the five locations. Every ball on this rack is worth two points. The players have one minute to shoot as many of the 25 balls as they can. The two competitors with the highest scores in the first round advance to the championship round.[11]

The Skills Challenge will be a three-round, obstacle-course competition that tests dribbling, passing, agility and three-point shooting skills. The event will showcase a head-to-head, bracket-style tournament format.[11]

Three-Point Contest

Position PlayerFrom2019 Season 3-point statistics1st Round2nd Round
width=50Madewidth=50Attemptedwidth=50Percent
GShekinna Stricklen Connecticut Sun 45 115 39.1 21 23
G36 76 47.4 22 22
GAllie QuigleyChicago Sky51 107 47.7 19
G39 110 35.5 14
G35 82 42.7 12
G23 64 35.9 8

Skills Challenge

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Las Vegas Aces To Host WNBA All-Star 2019. Official Release . July 28, 2018. WNBA.com. WNBA. July 5, 2019.
  2. Web site: WNBA All-Star Voting Tips Off June 14. wnba.com. WNBA. June 12, 2019. July 5, 2019.
  3. Web site: ESPN2 to Televise WNBA All-Star Draft for First Time Tuesday, July 23. wnba.com. WNBA. July 18, 2019. July 19, 2019.
  4. Web site: Laimbeer, Thibault Named 2019 WNBA All-Star Head Coaches. wnba.com. WNBA. July 11, 2019. July 15, 2019.
  5. Web site: EDD, A'ja Wilson Named WNBA All-Star Captains. wnba.com. WNBA. July 11, 2019. July 12, 2019.
  6. Web site: Seven-Time Selection Charles, Dupree, Highlight Reserves For All-Star. wnba.com. WNBA. July 15, 2019. July 16, 2019.
  7. Web site: Lynx's Napheesa Collier To Replace A'ja Wilson In AT&T WNBA All-Star 2019. wnba.com. WNBA. July 22, 2019. July 22, 2019.
  8. Web site: Lynx's Napheesa Collier To Replace A'ja Wilson In AT&T WNBA All-Star 2019. WNBA.com. July 22, 2019. July 22, 2019.
  9. Web site: Allie Quigley To Replace A'ja Wilson In Starting Lineup For Team Wilson In WNBA All-Star Game. WNBA.com. July 27, 2019. July 29, 2019.
  10. Web site: Experimental Rules Implemented For 2019 WNBA All-Star Game. wnba.com. WNBA. July 25, 2019. July 30, 2019.
  11. Web site: WNBA All-Star Friday Night to Feature 3-Point Contest, Skills Challenge, and Beach Concert & Party. wnba.com. WNBA. June 17, 2019. July 5, 2019.