Griner among WNBA All-Star starters
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Last year, Women's National Basketball Association All-Stars wore Brittney Griner's No. 42 to honor her while she remained imprisoned in Russia. This year, Griner will take the court as a starter.
Driving the news: The WNBA on Sunday announced the 10 players voted in as starters for next month's game in Las Vegas, and Griner made her ninth All-Star team.
- The two captains, who will select their teams a week before the game, are A'ja Wilson (forward, Las Vegas Aces) and Breanna Stewart (forward, New York Liberty) — the top two vote-getters for the second straight year.
- The other eight starters: Griner (center, Phoenix Mercury); Chelsea Gray (guard, Aces); Jackie Young (guard, Aces); Jewell Loyd (guard, Seattle Storm); Arike Ogunbowale (guard, Dallas Wings); Satou Sabally (forward, Wings); Nneka Ogwumike (forward, Los Angeles Sparks); Aliyah Boston (forward, Fever).
The intrigue: Boston — who leads the WNBA in field goal percentage (65.1%) and leads rookies in scoring (15.6 points per game), rebounding (8.1 per game) and blocks (1.5 per game) — is just the eighth rookie to ever be voted in as a starter.
How it works: Fans account for 50% of the vote, players count for 25% and a media panel counts for 25%. WNBA head coaches will select the 12 reserves.
In other WNBA news … The Mercury fired coach Vanessa Nygaard on Sunday, ending her brief tenure in Phoenix (17-31 record).
