WNBA having captains draft teams under new All-Star format

Published 8:07 am Wednesday, June 6, 2018

NEW YORK — The WNBA is finished with East vs. West in the All-Star game. The mid-season showcase will feature the 22 top players voted into the game, and captains will sort out the rosters from there.

Under the league’s new format, two captains will draft teams from the players who voted as All-Stars, and for the first time there’s no requirement that they’re split evenly among conference lines. It’s a similar format to what the NBA used this past season.

“Obviously watching the NBA go through it, it was kind of a unique twist that made it a little more fun and a little more competitive,” said Sue Bird, who is tied with Tamika Catchings for most All-Star appearances at 10.

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Bird hopes that the WNBA televise the All-Star draft, something that the NBA didn’t do.

“Maybe they’ll learn and show the actual draft. Take it back to elementary school day,” Bird said. “You get picked first great, if you go last, you’re still an All-Star.”

The captains for the game on July 28 in Minneapolis will be the players with the highest vote totals from a combination of fans, media, coaches and player ballots.

Diana Taurasi joked that if she was captain there was no way she’d take Mercury teammate Brittney Griner.