The Unsung 2018 WNBA All-Stars

The Unsung 2018 WNBA All-Stars

A list of WNBA players who have never been All-Stars and deserve a shot at making the team this year.

A list of WNBA players who have never been All-Stars and deserve a shot at making the team this year.

Disclaimer: The following lists are solely the opinion of this writer. Don't @ me.

Yes, that time is upon us, WNBA fans. The 2018 All-Star game will be held on July 28 in Minneapolis this year, hosted by the reigning champion Minnesota Lynx.

All-Star voting opened on June 19 and is open until July 12. There is a twist to the format this year: the top-two vote getters, regardless of conference, will be team captains. Those two captains will then pick the remaining 10 members of their teams, regardless of conference. The format seemed to work well for the NBA, which debuted this format for its 2018 All-Star Game in February.

Twenty-two spots in a league with 144 players (12 teams x 12 players per team), most of whom do qualify or have qualified as an All-Star at some point in their careers. Competition is extremely stiff and relies heavily on fan voting.

This year, the usual suspects will more than likely make the All-Star team, due to fan popularity (yes, they are also immensely talented players, but the All-Star game is a popularity contest for the fans):

Sue Bird (Seattle Storm)

Tina Charles (New York Liberty)

Elena Delle Donne (Washington Mystics)

Skylar Diggins-Smith (Dallas Wings)

Sylvia Fowles (Minnesota Lynx)

Brittney Griner (Phoenix Mercury)

Jewel Loyd (Seattle Storm)

Angel McCoughtry (Atlanta Dream)

Maya Moore (Minnesota Lynx)

Chiney Ogwumike (Connecticut Sun)

Nneka Ogwumike (Los Angeles Sparks)

Candace Parker (Los Angeles Sparks)

Breanna Stewart (Seattle Storm)

Diana Taurasi (Phoenix Mercury)

A’Ja Wilson (Las Vegas Aces)

This is always subject to change, based on fan, player, and coach input. However, barring surprises, this list is fairly accurate. Your mileage may vary.

That whittles the number of available All-Star spots considerably. Here are some players who have never been named All-Stars (either by voting or as a replacement for an injured player who was voted an All-Star) but deserve a spot based on their play so far this season:

Natalie Achonwa (Indiana Fever)

Liz Cambage (Dallas Wings)

Natasha Cloud (Washington Mystics)

Jamierra Faulkner (Chicago Sky)

Allisha Gray (Dallas Wings)

Natasha Howard (Seattle Storm)

Courtney Paris (Seattle Storm)

Cheyenne Parker (Chicago Sky)

Shekinna Stricklen (Connecticut Sun)

Brittney Sykes (Atlanta Dream)

Kayla Thornton (Dallas Wings)

Courtney Williams (Connecticut Sun)

Gabby Williams (Chicago Sky)

Tamera Young (Las Vegas Aces)

Amanda Zahui B (New York Liberty)

Honorable Mentions

These players have been named All-Stars before, but have also been playing at an All-Star level this season:

DeWanna Bonner, Phoenix Mercury (All-Star 2015)

Jessica Breland, Atlanta Dream (All-Star 2014)

Rebekkah Brunson, Minnesota Lynx (All-Star 2007, 2011, 2013, 2017)

Chelsea Gray, Los Angeles Sparks (All-Star 2017)

Tiffany Hayes, Atlanta Dream (All-Star 2017)

Briann January, Phoenix Mercury (All-Star 2014)

Sancho Lyttle, Phoenix Mercury (All-Star 2009-10)

Kayla McBride, Las Vegas Aces (All-Star 2015)

Danielle Robinson, Minnesota Lynx (All-Star 2013-15)

Kristi Toliver, Washington Mystics (All-Star 2013)

Shavonte Zellous, New York Liberty (All-Star 2013)

How to Vote

Cast your WNBA All-Star votes now! The voting period runs from June 19 - July 12. You can vote by:

  • Downloading the WNBA app (it’s free, for both iOS and Android)  and casting your vote under the All-Star tab on the left-hand menu (you can only vote once per 24 hours)
  • Going to the WNBA All-Star player page on the WNBA website and voting there (you can only vote once per 24 hours)
  • Tweeting the name of your favorite players with the hashtag #WNBAVote (1 player per tweet; 10 tweets per Twitter handle, per day. Each tweet must be for a different player.)

Get ready; the 2018 All-Star game is gonna be lit!

Disclaimer: The following lists are solely the opinion of this writer. Don't @ me.

Yes, that time is upon us, WNBA fans. The 2018 All-Star game will be held on July 28 in Minneapolis this year, hosted by the reigning champion Minnesota Lynx.

All-Star voting opened on June 19 and is open until July 12. There is a twist to the format this year: the top-two vote getters, regardless of conference, will be team captains. Those two captains will then pick the remaining 10 members of their teams, regardless of conference. The format seemed to work well for the NBA, which debuted this format for its 2018 All-Star Game in February.

Twenty-two spots in a league with 144 players (12 teams x 12 players per team), most of whom do qualify or have qualified as an All-Star at some point in their careers. Competition is extremely stiff and relies heavily on fan voting.

This year, the usual suspects will more than likely make the All-Star team, due to fan popularity (yes, they are also immensely talented players, but the All-Star game is a popularity contest for the fans):

Sue Bird (Seattle Storm)

Tina Charles (New York Liberty)

Elena Delle Donne (Washington Mystics)

Skylar Diggins-Smith (Dallas Wings)

Sylvia Fowles (Minnesota Lynx)

Brittney Griner (Phoenix Mercury)

Jewel Loyd (Seattle Storm)

Angel McCoughtry (Atlanta Dream)

Maya Moore (Minnesota Lynx)

Chiney Ogwumike (Connecticut Sun)

Nneka Ogwumike (Los Angeles Sparks)

Candace Parker (Los Angeles Sparks)

Breanna Stewart (Seattle Storm)

Diana Taurasi (Phoenix Mercury)

A’Ja Wilson (Las Vegas Aces)

This is always subject to change, based on fan, player, and coach input. However, barring surprises, this list is fairly accurate. Your mileage may vary.

That whittles the number of available All-Star spots considerably. Here are some players who have never been named All-Stars (either by voting or as a replacement for an injured player who was voted an All-Star) but deserve a spot based on their play so far this season:

Natalie Achonwa (Indiana Fever)

Liz Cambage (Dallas Wings)

Natasha Cloud (Washington Mystics)

Jamierra Faulkner (Chicago Sky)

Allisha Gray (Dallas Wings)

Natasha Howard (Seattle Storm)

Courtney Paris (Seattle Storm)

Cheyenne Parker (Chicago Sky)

Shekinna Stricklen (Connecticut Sun)

Brittney Sykes (Atlanta Dream)

Kayla Thornton (Dallas Wings)

Courtney Williams (Connecticut Sun)

Gabby Williams (Chicago Sky)

Tamera Young (Las Vegas Aces)

Amanda Zahui B (New York Liberty)

Honorable Mentions

These players have been named All-Stars before, but have also been playing at an All-Star level this season:

DeWanna Bonner, Phoenix Mercury (All-Star 2015)

Jessica Breland, Atlanta Dream (All-Star 2014)

Rebekkah Brunson, Minnesota Lynx (All-Star 2007, 2011, 2013, 2017)

Chelsea Gray, Los Angeles Sparks (All-Star 2017)

Tiffany Hayes, Atlanta Dream (All-Star 2017)

Briann January, Phoenix Mercury (All-Star 2014)

Sancho Lyttle, Phoenix Mercury (All-Star 2009-10)

Kayla McBride, Las Vegas Aces (All-Star 2015)

Danielle Robinson, Minnesota Lynx (All-Star 2013-15)

Kristi Toliver, Washington Mystics (All-Star 2013)

Shavonte Zellous, New York Liberty (All-Star 2013)

How to Vote

Cast your WNBA All-Star votes now! The voting period runs from June 19 - July 12. You can vote by:

  • Downloading the WNBA app (it’s free, for both iOS and Android)  and casting your vote under the All-Star tab on the left-hand menu (you can only vote once per 24 hours)
  • Going to the WNBA All-Star player page on the WNBA website and voting there (you can only vote once per 24 hours)
  • Tweeting the name of your favorite players with the hashtag #WNBAVote (1 player per tweet; 10 tweets per Twitter handle, per day. Each tweet must be for a different player.)

Get ready; the 2018 All-Star game is gonna be lit!

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