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USATSI

It won't be long now until we know the 22 players selected for the 2018 WNBA All-Star Game. The All-Stars will be announced Tuesday on ESPN, while the teams will be revealed Thursday.

This season, for the first time, the WNBA All-Star Game will not be contested between conferences. Instead, there will be two captains who select their teams from the pool of available players.

Ahead of the announcement of this season's All-Stars, here are my picks for all 22 spots.

Starters

  • Guard: Skylar Diggins-Smith, Dallas Wings
  • Guard: Diana Taurasi, Phoenix Mercury
  • Guard: Kayla McBride, Las Vegas Aces
  • Guard: Chelsea Gray, Los Angeles Sparks
  • Forward: Elena Delle Donne, Washington Mystics
  • Forward: Breanna Stewart, Seattle Storm
  • Forward: A'ja Wilson, Las Vegas Aces
  • Forward: Candace Parker, Los Angeles Sparks
  • Center: Liz Cambage, Dallas Wings
  • Center: Brittney Griner, Phoenix Mercury

Reserves

  • Guard: Sue Bird, Seattle Storm
  • Guard: Allie Quigley, Chicago Sky
  • Guard: Courtney Williams, Connecticut Sun
  • Guard: Tiffany Hayes, Atlanta Dream
  • Guard: Courtney Vandersloot, Chicago Sky
  • Forward: Maya Moore, Minnesota Lynx
  • Forward: Tina Charles, New York Liberty
  • Forward: DeWanna Bonner, Phoenix Mercury
  • Forward: Angel McCoughtry, Atlanta Dream
  • Forward: Nneka Ogwumike, Los Angeles Sparks
  • Center: Sylvia Fowles, Minnesota Lynx
  • Center: Chiney Ogwumike, Connecticut Sun

This week's WNBA Power Rankings

  1. Seattle Storm (16-6) -- No movement

The Storm just keep churning right along. Thanks to their most recent victory, a seven-point triumph over the Wings, they're now 16-6, surpassing their win total from last season with 12 games still to play. While they'd have to win out to match their franchise-best 28-6 mark from 2010 -- unlikely -- this is shaping up to be a historic regular-season in Seattle.

2. Phoenix Mercury (15-8) -- No movement

The Mercury hit a bit of a rough patch over the past week or so, dropping three straight games for their longest losing streak of the season. But the good news for them is none of the teams right below them took advantage. After crushing the Fever on Sunday to get back to their winning ways, Diana Taurasi and Co. are still chilling in second place.

3. Los Angeles Sparks (14-9) -- Up 2

What a week for Candace Parker. To start it off, she put up 21 points, nine rebounds, 10 assists, four steals and two blocks in 40 minutes in their overtime win over the Storm. And to close it out, she dropped 34 points, 11 rebounds and nine assists as they crushed the Aces. According to the league, she's the first player to record either of those stat lines, obscure as they may be.

4. Atlanta Dream (12-9) -- Up 3

The Dream have done it. A few offensive outbursts and a four-game winning streak have pushed the Dream out of the bottom spot in offensive rating. No longer do they hold the distinction of owning the league's best defense and worst offense. Plus, they've gotten themselves into sixth place, and sit just two games back of second.

5. Dallas Wings (12-9) -- Up 1

The Wings finally had their five-game winning streak snapped by the first-place Storm, but it was still an impressive week for the club, as they secured double-digit victories over both the Mercury and Sparks. Also, if anyone has any extra money to spare, Liz Cambage needs some help with her technical foul fines.

6. Washington Mystics (13-9) -- Down 3

During Sunday's loss to the Dream, Elena Delle Donne became the fastest player to score 3,000 career points in WNBA history, etching yet another milestone in what has already been a phenomenal career. By the time it's all said and done, EDD just might go down as the best scorer in league history.

7. Connecticut Sun (12-10) -- Up 1

Courtney Williams seems revitalized after her apparent enemy Alex Bentley was traded away, Alyssa Thomas has finally returned from injury and the Sun have won two straight. The latest of which was a resounding 19-point win over the defending champion Lynx. Perhaps the Sun are finally back on track.

8. Minnesota Lynx (12-10) -- Down 4

The Lynx were done, then they were back, and now they're falling apart again. Perhaps it would be best to just stop trying to read anything at all into the Lynx's regular season efforts, and just wait until the playoffs roll around. However, if they don't pick things up, there might be no playoffs to speak of.

9. Las Vegas Aces (10-13) -- No movement

The Aces are right there, just two and a half games out of the playoffs, but it's looking like their poor start is going to doom them in that regard. They have a killer schedule the rest of the way, and it's probably a bit too much to ask them to be consistent enough to outplay the likes of the Lynx and Sun down the stretch.

10. New York Liberty (7-14) -- Up 2

Shavonte Zellous banked in a 3-pointer at the buzzer to give the Liberty a dramatic victory over the Sun early in the week. It brought some much-needed excitement to what has been a disappointing season, but the playoffs are still looking out of reach unless this team can muster a lengthy winning streak out of nowhere to match last season's 10-game effort.  

11. Chicago Sky (7-15) -- Down 1

It was another rough week for the Sky, but at this point their record doesn't really matter too much. So let's take a brief minute to recognize Courtney Vandersloot, who is once again putting together a stellar season. In particular, she's been impressive so far this month, putting up 12.7 points, 7.8 assists and five rebounds per game while shooting 45 percent from 3-point range.

12. Indiana Fever (2-20) -- Down 1

The Fever's big win over the Lynx the other week did not prove to be a turning point in their season. In fact, they haven't won since, and are now down to 2-20. Perhaps more concerning, though, is Kelsey Mitchell's efficiency falling off a cliff. She's shooting just 23.5 percent from the field in July.