Breaking: Caitlin Clark, Angel Reese Lead Team WNBA All-Stars vs. Team USA

Rookie sensations Caitlin Clark of the Indiana Fever and Angel Reese of the Chicago Sky headline the 12-player Team WNBA that will face the U.S. women’s national team in Phoenix on July 20 for the 2024 WNBA All-Star Game, the league announced Tuesday night.

Clark, the No. 1 pick, and Reese, the No. 7 pick in the 2024 draft, are the only first-time All-Stars in the group, underscoring their immediate impact and standout performances in their rookie seasons.

Dating back to their playing days at Iowa and LSU, respectively, Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese have fueled an exciting on-court rivalry that has helped propel women’s basketball into a new era of growth. Their three matchups in the first two months of the WNBA season were decided by a combined 10 points, highlighting the competitive nature of their encounters. Now, as they prepare to be All-Star teammates, they are the clear front-runners in the Rookie of the Year race, with Clark earning Rookie of the Month honors for May and Reese for June.

Reflecting on their upcoming All-Star collaboration, Clark shared, “I don’t think I’ve ever been her teammate before, even at USA Basketball. I know people will be really excited about it, but I hope it doesn’t take away from everyone else. This is a huge accomplishment for everybody on Team USA and everyone on Team WNBA. They all deserve the same praise. I don’t want it to take away from any of that and be the focal point of All-Star weekend because that’s not fair to them.”

Angel Reese got emotional after being informed she made the All-Star team, speaking to reporters through tears following Chicago’s 85-77 win over Atlanta on Tuesday night, where she posted 12 points and 19 rebounds.

“I’m just so happy. I know the work I put in,” said Reese. “Coming into this league, so many people doubted me and didn’t think my game would translate. They thought I wouldn’t be the player I was in college or better, or that I would be worse and wouldn’t be where I am right now.

“But I trusted the process and believed. I’m thankful that I dropped to [pick No. 7] and was able to come to Chicago. It’s just a blessing. I can’t thank my teammates and coaches enough for believing in me and trusting me. I know all of them are going to come to Phoenix and support me. So I’m really happy right now.”

The Team WNBA roster is also highlighted by nine-time All-Star Nneka Ogwumike and six-time All-Star DeWanna Bonner. Aliyah Boston and Kelsey Mitchell give Indiana — which has seen an explosion of interest with Clark in tow — the most selections of any team with three.

“It’s a really, really big thing for our franchise,” Mitchell said. “It kind of shows where we are as players and where we aspire to be individually.”

“We’ll be on the same team and at least have each other,” Clark added. “It shows the talent we have… the future is bright.”

The group is rounded out by the Connecticut Sun’s Brionna Jones, Atlanta Dream’s Allisha Gray, Los Angeles Sparks’ Dearica Hamby, New York Liberty’s Jonquel Jones, Minnesota Lynx’s Kayla McBride, and Dallas Wings’ Arike Ogunbowale.

The top 10 All-Star vote-getters — determined by 50% fan voting, 25% current player voting, and 25% media voting — were automatically named to the All-Star Game, with those who weren’t previously named to the Olympic 5-on-5 team assigned to Team WNBA.

The top 10 All-Star vote-getters, in alphabetical order, were: Aliyah Boston, Caitlin Clark, Napheesa Collier, Kahleah Copper, Dearica Hamby, Sabrina Ionescu, Arike Ogunbowale, Breanna Stewart, A’ja Wilson, and Jackie Young. Clark and Boston received the most fan votes, followed by Wilson, Stewart, and Angel Reese.

With Collier, Copper, Ionescu, Stewart, Wilson, and Young on Team USA, Boston, Clark, Hamby, and Ogunbowale were automatically named to Team WNBA.

Following the selection of the top 10 All-Star vote-getters, the league’s coaches completed the Team WNBA roster by choosing from the next 36 highest vote-getters. The final roster includes DeWanna Bonner, Allisha Gray, Brionna Jones, Jonquel Jones, Kayla McBride, Kelsey Mitchell, Nneka Ogwumike, and Angel Reese.

Meanwhile, the U.S. national team, aiming for an eighth consecutive Olympic gold in Paris starting later this month, includes Diana Taurasi, Chelsea Gray, Brittney Griner, Jewell Loyd, Kelsey Plum, Alyssa Thomas, and other top talents.

The starters for both Team WNBA and the U.S. Olympic team will be determined by their respective head coaches. Previously, a group of WNBA All-Stars faced the U.S. Olympic team in an All-Star Game in 2021, with Team WNBA securing the victory led by MVP Arike Ogunbowale.