The prayers of many a WNBA fan that it would televise the All-Star draft have been answered.
With that popular demand being met, it was announced that ESPN2 will televise the 2019 WNBA All-Star Draft on Tuesday July 23 at 9:30 p.m.
Maria Taylor will host the draft with appearances by Cynthia Cooper-Dyke and Rebecca Lobo.
The 30-minute selection show will occur prior to the 10 p.m. matchup that day between the Seattle Storm and Las Vegas Aces on ESPN2 and will also feature an interview with new commissioner Cathy Engelbert.
The two teams will be selected by captains Elena Delle Donne (Washington Mystics) and A’ja Wilson (Las Vegas Aces) as they finished with the most fan votes. Delle Donne will select first in the first round when starters for Team Delle Donne and Team Wilson are picked with Wilson selecting first in the second round from the pool of reserves.
The starters will include Chelsea Gray (Los Angeles Sparks), Brittney Griner (Phoenix Mercury), Kia Nurse (New York Liberty), Natasha Howard (Seattle Storm), Kayla McBride (Las Vegas Aces), Jonquel Jones (Connecticut Sun), Liz Cambage (Las Vegas Aces) and Jewell Loyd (Seattle Storm).
The reserves shall include Tina Charles (New York Liberty), Candice Dupree (Indiana Fever), Erica Wheeler (Indiana Fever), Kristi Toliver (Washington Mystics), Courtney Vandersloot (Chicago Sky), Allie Quigley (Chicago Sky), Diamond DeShields (Chicago Sky), Sylvia Fowles (Minnesota Lynx), Odyssey Sims (Minnesota Lynx), Nneka Ogwumike (Los Angeles Sparks), Alyssa Thomas (Connecticut Sun) and DeWanna Bonner (Phoenix Mercury).
The Aces’ Bill Laimbeer will coach Team Delle Donne with Mystics coach Mike Thibault at the helm for Team Wilson.
Wilson, ironically, was on last year’s Team Delle Donne that lost last year’s All-Star Game to Team Parker 119-112. Maya Moore won her third consecutive All-Star MVP in front of her home fans at Target Center in Minneapolis, Minnesota.
