2022 WNBA All-Star Game: An early look at potential starters as fan voting begins

The WNBA season is not even a month old, but it’s already time to start thinking about the 2022 All-Star Game. This year’s event is scheduled for July 10 in Chicago, as the defending champion Sky will play host to the midseason showcase for the first time ever. 

After going with Team USA vs. Team WNBA last year due to the Olympics, the captain’s draft format will return this summer. The two players who receive the most fan votes will serve as captains and draft their teams from the pool of players selected to be starters and reserves in the game. Including the captains, there will be 10 starters and 12 reserves for a total of 22 players — 11 on each team. 

As per usual, starters will be determined by the fans, media and current players. Fans will account for 50 percent of the votes, while the media and players will each account for 25 percent. Fan voting opened on Friday, June 3, and will run through June 20. The starters will then be announced on June 22, while the reserves, chosen by the league’s head coaches, will be announced on June 28. Once the final player pool has been determined, the draft will take place live on ESPN on July 2. 

With fan voting now open, let’s take a look at the potential starters. We won’t go super in-depth at this point considering most teams haven’t even played 10 games yet, but it’s still interesting to take an early look. Voting is separated into backcourt and frontcourt. Voters must select four backcourt players and six frontcourt players. 

(Note: I do not have a media vote.)

Backcourt:

• Rhyne Howard, Atlanta Dream
• Jewell Loyd, Seattle Storm
• Kelsey Plum, Las Vegas Aces
• Jackie Young, Las Vegas Aces

Young (who left Thursday night’s game with an ankle injury, status to be determined) and Plum have been dynamite leading the Aces to a league-best 9-2 start. They are fourth and fifth in the league in scoring, respectively, and are two of only four players averaging at least 18 points, three rebounds and three assists per game. In addition, they are both shooting at least 45 percent from 3-point land. 

Howard, meanwhile, has shown everyone why the Dream traded up to take her No. 1 overall in this year’s draft. She’s had little trouble adjusting to the pros and is currently eighth in scoring at 17.4 points per game but is playing a big role on the league’s best defense. 

The final guard spot is where there will be some debate right now. Ultimately, Loyd got the nod. Perhaps it’s a bit of a reputation call, but she’s sixth in the league in scoring at 18.4 points per game and joins Young and Plum as one of the four players in the 18/3/3 club. 

Frontcourt:

• Elena Delle Donne, Washington Mystics
• Sylvia Fowles, Minnesota Lynx
• Nneka Ogwumike, Los Angeles Sparks
• Breanna Stewart, Seattle Storm
• Alyssa Thomas, Connecticut Sun
• A’ja Wilson, Las Vegas Aces

Stewart, Wilson, Thomas, Ogwumike and Fowles should be locks right now, and it’s hard to imagine anything changes over the next few weeks. 

Stewart has been stellar since returning from health and safety protocols, putting up 20.7 points, 7.5 rebounds, three assists and three steals per game. While winning isn’t everything for All-Star nods, it’s worth noting the Storm are 5-1 with Stewart and 0-2 without her.

Wilson has been incredible leading the Aces to the best record in the league by putting at 16.8 points, 10.1 rebounds and 2.4 blocks. She’s one of only two players averaging a double-double and is second in blocks. 

Thomas is completely back to her pre-injury form and has been doing a little bit of everything for the Sun on both sides of the ball: 15.8 points, 8.4 rebounds, 4.9 assists and two steals. The only other player to put up those numbers over the course of a season was Tamika Catchings. 

Ogwumike also looks refreshed after being limited to 18 games last season. Her 18 points and 7.5 rebounds per game make her one of only four players in the top-10 in both rebounding and scoring. She’s also shooting 58.6 percent from the field, which is good for third in the league. 

As for Fowles, she’s doing everything she can to keep the Lynx looking like a respectable club. She’s putting up 17 points, 10.9 rebounds, 1.7 steals and 1.4 blocks per game while shooting 64 percent from the field. In addition to leading the league in rebounding and field goal percentage, she’s one of two players averaging a double-double.

There will be some debate about the other frontcourt spot. The league’s talent pool is tilted heavily towards frontcourt players, and there simply won’t be enough room for every star. In the end, Delle Donne made the cut at this time. While she’s only played seven games because the Mystics are trying to protect her, she’s been awesome when she has been on the floor: 17.9 points, 6.6 rebounds and 1.4 blocks per game.