How the All-Star picture will look this Saturday at Seattle’s Key Arena was made much clearer when the WNBA announced not only the All-Star reserves, but also the participants for the three-point contest which will occur at halftime of the game.
Sue Bird, Maya Moore, Jasmine Thomas, Allie Quigley, and Sugar Rodgers have been named as the five participants for the three-point shooting contest. The format will be similar to the NBA’s with five locations around the three-point perimeter. Four of them will have four WNBA balls and one “money ball” with the final rack being all money balls.
Players will be allotted one minute to shoot as many shots as possible with the top three scorers advancing to the championship round. The winner will have $10,000 donated to a charity of her choosing.
In addition, the list of replacements was also announced. Due to injuries, the Washington Mystics’ Elena Delle Donne and the Phoenix Mercury’s Brittney Griner will be unable to participate. The Liberty’s Rodgers as well as the Minnesota Lynx’s Rebekkah Brunson were named to take the places of Delle Donne and Griner, respectively.
Also, Connecticut Sun head coach Curt Miller will coach the East All-Stars in place of Bill Laimbeer. Lynx head coach Cheryl Reeve remains as head coach of the West.
With the replacements and reserves being announced, we now know the full rosters for both East and West. Breanna Stewart will get the chance to play in front of her home fans in her first All-Star appearance. The West reserves will also include reigning league MVP Nneka Ogwumike. Griner, Seimone Augustus, Skylar Diggins-Smith, and Chelsea Gray round out the West.
For the East, Quigley, Candice Dupree, Stefanie Dolson, Alyssa Thomas, Elizabeth Williams, and Layshia Clarendon were announced as reserves.
The game will also feature Sue Bird, Diana Taurasi, Candace Parker, Sylvia Fowles (for the West) and Tina Charles, Jonquel Jones, and Tiffany Hayes for the East.
By: Akiem Bailum (@AkiemBailum on Twitter, Instagram)
