Slowly, but surely, the idea of the geographically-based conference Is becoming a lost art in both the WNBA and NBA. The W’s current playoff format already eradicates conferences altogether and simply seeds teams on where they finished in the standings.
Add the WNBA All-Star Game to pro hoops’ current bludgeoning of conferences.
The updated format calls for the two team captains – the two leading vote-getters regardless of conferences – to draft their teams of All-Stars from a pool of players. All-Star voting starts in two weeks on June 19.
Selection of the All-Stars will occur through a combined fan, player/head coach, and media panel vote.
The All-Stars will be announced on July 17, a week prior to the All-Star Game with the announcement of the rosters to be revealed on July 19 during ESPN’s broadcast of the Washington Mystics-Dallas Wings game.
A similar occurrence happened this NBA season with its All-Star Game as it ditched conferences in favor of two teams drafted by LeBron James and Stephen Curry. That draft was not televised, and the announcement of the WNBA’s All-Star draft is already leading to calls that it broadcast the draft via Twitter.
Lots of folks saying they'd like to see live coverage of WNBA All-Star Game captains' selecting their teams. At this point, it's not scheduled to be televised or on Twitter live, but … league said there is still that possibility as details are being finalized.
— Mechelle Voepel (@MechelleV) June 5, 2018
So should I go full @HowardBeck now and begin a #TeleviseTheDraft campaign? https://t.co/52e8r8V8jZ
— Ben Dull (@splitthepost) June 5, 2018
We will also know who both head coaches will be as they will be from the two teams with the best records following July 13. Right now, if that were to be the case today, Curt Miller of the previously undefeated Connecticut Sun and Brian Agler of the Los Angeles Sparks (4-1) would be the All-Star coaches. Dan Hughes’ Seattle Storm also sit one game behind the Sun, but they are one game behind Los Angeles in the loss column.
By: Akiem Bailum (@AkiemBailum on Twitter, Instagram)
