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Angel Reese and Caitlin Clark will play on the same team for the WNBA All-Star game

Chicago Sky's Angel Reese (5) eyes the basket as Connecticut Sun's Brionna Jones defends during a WNBA basketball game on June 12, 2024, in Chicago.
Charles Rex Arbogast
/
AP
Chicago Sky's Angel Reese (5) eyes the basket as Connecticut Sun's Brionna Jones defends during a WNBA basketball game on June 12, 2024, in Chicago.

Angel Reese and Caitlin Clark will play on the same team in this year’s WNBA All-Star game, as they take on members of the U.S. women’s basketball Olympic team.

All Olympic-bound players will play against the remaining selections in 12-person teams. The game will be broadcast July 20 on ABC at 8:30 p.m. ET, the league announced Tuesday.

The Team WNBA roster includes:

  • DeWanna Bonner (Connecticut Sun)
  • Aliyah Boston (Indiana Fever)
  • Caitlin Clark (Indiana Fever)
  • Allisha Gray (Atlanta Dream)
  • Dearica Hamby (Los Angeles Sparks)
  • Brionna Jones (Connecticut Sun)
  • Jonquel Jones (New York Liberty)
  • Kayla McBride (Minnesota Lynx)
  • Kelsey Mitchell (Indiana Fever)
  • Arike Ogunbowale (Dallas Wings)
  • Nneka Ogwumike (Seattle Storm)
  • Angel Reese (Chicago Sky)

The USA Women’s National Team includes:

  • Napheesa Collier (Minnesota Lynx)
  • Kahleah Copper (Phoenix Mercury)
  • Chelsea Gray (Las Vegas Aces)
  • Brittney Griner (Phoenix Mercury)
  • Sabrina Ionescu (New York Liberty)
  • Jewell Loyd (Seattle Storm)
  • Kelsey Plum (Las Vegas Aces)
  • Breanna Stewart (New York Liberty)
  • Diana Taurasi (Phoenix Mercury)
  • Alyssa Thomas (Connecticut Sun)
  • A’ja Wilson (Las Vegas Aces)
  • Jackie Young (Las Vegas Aces)

The All-Stars are selected based on votes by fans, WNBA players and sports journalists, which account for 50%, 25% and 25% of the vote, respectively.

The five players with the most fan votes included Clark (700,735 votes), Boston (618,680), Wilson (607,300), Stewart (424,135) and Reese (381,518).

Clark and Reese developed a rivalry after facing off in the 2023 national NCAA women's basketball championship, in which there was controversy about the sportsmanship between their respective teams, Iowa and LSU. LSU defeated Iowa last year, while Iowa beat LSU earlier this year during their Elite Eight rematch. Iowa made it to the championship again this year but lost to South Carolina.

The players with the top 10 most votes overall were considered first. Six of the players (Collier, Copper, Ionesecu, Stewart, Wilson and Young) are on the Olympic roster, while Boston, Clark, Hamby and Ogunbowale were automatically chosen for Team WNBA.

A list of more players with high amounts of votes was sent to WNBA coaches, who voted for who would fill the remaining eight spots on Team WNBA. Coaches couldn’t vote for players on their team.

This is the second time the WNBA All-Star game features the Olympic team vs. Team WNBA. The first time was in 2021, ahead of the Tokyo Olympics.

Copyright 2024 NPR

Ayana Archie
[Copyright 2024 NPR]