The starters for the 2023 WNBA All-Star Game were announced last weekend, and to no surprise Las Vegas Aces big A'ja Wilson and New York Liberty forward Breanna Stewart were the headliners. Those two received the most fan votes and will serve as captains for the second consecutive year.
Once again, the league will be using a captain's picks format to determine the teams, and the live draft is set for July 8. But before that can happen, the 12 reserves need to be announced to fill out the full player pool. That decision is left up to the coaches, who vote for three guards, five frontcourt players and four from either position grouping.
The official list of reserves will be announced on Saturday afternoon, but it's a fun exercise to try ahead of time. At least it seems that way heading in until you realize that yet again there are more deserving players than there are spots, and you agonize about the final picks for far too long. Now, without further ado, here are my 12 selections for All-Star reserves.
Note: Brionna Jones was well on her way to a reserve spot before tearing her Achilles tendon. It remains to be seen if she'll still make the team, at which point an injury replacement would be selected by the commissioner. For the purposes of this story, Ezi Magbegor has been selected as her replacement.
Guards (3)
| Player | Team |
|---|---|
Allisha Gray | Atlanta Dream |
Sabrina Ionescu | New York Liberty |
Kelsey Plum | Las Vegas Aces |
When I submitted my official ballot for All-Star starters, Allisha Gray was one of my selections, and it seems almost certain that she'll make her first All-Star appearance this season. She's grown into one of the best wings in the league and is averaging an efficient 17.7 points per game (11th in the league), 5.3 rebounds and 2.8 assists.
Next up is Kelsey Plum, the reigning All-Star Game MVP. She got off to a slow start this season, at least by her standards, but has really picked it up as of late. During the Aces' six-game winning streak, she's averaging 20 points and 3.3 assists, while shooting 55.3% from the field. That recent surge, combined with the Aces' status as the best team in the league, is enough to earn her a nod.
Sabrina Ionescu is not scoring the ball efficiently this season, but her overall production is just too much to ignore. Only seven other players in WNBA history have averaged at least 16 points, five rebounds and four assists for a season, which Ionescu is doing this summer. Plus, she's statistically been the best 3-point shooter in the league this season; among the 16 players taking at least five per game, Ionescu's 42.2% mark is the most efficient.
Frontcourt (5)
| Player | Team |
|---|---|
Napheesa Collier | Minnesota Lynx |
Elena Delle Donne | Washington Mystics |
Ezi Magbegor | Seattle Storm |
Cheyenne Parker | Atlanta Dream |
Alyssa Thomas | Connecticut Sun |
Alyssa Thomas was by far the biggest snub from the starters; for whatever reason she does not get the same level of fan support as other stars. The good news is she will absolutely be among the reserves. She's averaging 14.6 points, 10.4 rebounds, eight assists and 2.1 steals per game, and has become the league's all-time triple-double leader in the process. We've never seen anyone put up numbers like this before, and Thomas has the shorthanded Sun sitting in third place at 12-4.
Napheesa Collier is another player I had as a starter, who ultimately did not make the cut. Now back to 100% after missing most of last season on maternity leave, she has been tremendous while carrying the Lynx on her back. Here's how many players have at least 300 points, 100 rebounds and 30 assists this season: Napheesa Collier
Another star who was not named a starter but is sure to be heading to Las Vegas next month is Elena Delle Donne. She is fully healthy again after years of back problems and is doing her usual thing: efficient, high-level scoring, strong rebounding and solid defense. Her 18.6 points per game are good for ninth in the league, and she has the Mystics in fourth place.
One lesser-known player who should get a chance to make her All-Star debut this season is Cheyenne Parker. The veteran big has been terrific for the Dream this season, putting up career-best numbers of 16.1 points, 7.3 rebounds, 1.6 steals and 1.3 blocks per game, all while shooting 50% from the field. The only other players putting up 16/7 on 50% shooting are A'ja Wilson and Nneka Ogwumike.
For the final frontcourt-specific spot, we head to the Pacific Northwest to highlight one of the league's rising stars: Ezi Magbegor. The fourth-year center has taken a leap this season in a bigger role, and is averaging 15.1 points and 8.1 rebounds to go along with her tremendous defense. Her 2.1 blocks per game are third in the league.
Wildcards (4)
| Player | Team |
|---|---|
DeWanna Bonner | Phoenix Mercury |
Jordin Canada | Los Angeles Sparks |
Kelsey Mitchell | Indiana Fever |
Courtney Vandersloot | New York Liberty |
Veteran forward DeWanna Bonner just keeps on scoring. Her 17.6 points per game are good for 12th in the league, and are a major reason the Sun sit in third place. She had a career-high 41-point performance earlier this season and has moved into eighth place on the league's all-time scoring list with 6,466 points. All signs point to a fifth All-Star appearance.
Kelsey Mitchell was one of the biggest snubs from last season's All-Star Game, but don't expect that to happen again. She's established herself as one of the best shooting guards around, and is currently 13th in the league in scoring at 17.1 points per game and third in 3-pointers made with 36.
Sticking with the backcourt trend, we'll go with the pure point guard, Courtney Vandersloot. She has once again regained her spot atop the league's assist leaderboard, dishing out 8.6 per game for an electric Liberty offense that ranks second in the league (107.9 offensive rating).
The final wildcard spot was brutal. There are so many deserving players with similar resumes, but ultimately I went with Jordin Canada. She is enjoying a breakout campaign for the Sparks, and has been one of the best facilitators and perimeter defenders around; the only other player in the top-five in assists and steals per game is Alyssa Thomas. In addition, Canada has made real strides in the scoring department and is putting up a career-high 13.4 points per game, which is second on the Sparks.
