Rookies Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese are named to WNBA All-Star team
By Wayne Sterling, CNN
(CNN) — Rookies Caitlin Clark of the Indiana Fever and Angel Reese of the Chicago Sky have been named to their first WNBA All-Star team, the league announced Tuesday.
This is the first time two rookies are WNBA All-Stars in the same season since 2014.
Reese, who has also been named WNBA Rookie of the Month for June, was emotional after learning about her All-Star selection.
“I’m just so happy,” she told reporters through tears. “All the work I put in, coming into this league so many people doubted me – didn’t think my game would translate and I wouldn’t be the player that I was in college … I trusted the process and I believed.”
Against the Atlanta Dream on Tuesday, Reese posted her 11th consecutive double-double – extending her single-season league record – with a franchise-record 19 rebounds in the Sky’s 85-77 win. She is now within one of Candace Parker’s all-time record for consecutive double-doubles, which was accomplished across two seasons.
Clark, meanwhile, was named Rookie of the Month in May and has consistently drawn huge crowds during her time in the WNBA. On Tuesday, 20,366 watched her Fever lose 88-69 against the Las Vegas Aces, the fifth-biggest crowd in league history and largest since 1999.
“I don’t think I’ve ever been her teammate before, even at USA Basketball or anything like that,” Clark told reporters about linking up with former college rival Reese. “I know people are going to be really excited about it, but I hope it doesn’t take away from everybody else.
“This is a huge accomplishment for everybody on Team USA and everybody on Team WNBA. They all deserve the same praise.”
Joining the two first-timers on the 12-woman Team WNBA roster are two-time All-Star Aliyah Boston (Fever), four-time All-Star Arike Ogunbowale (Dallas Wings) and nine-time All-Star Nneka Ogwumike (Seattle Storm).
Team WNBA will take on the USA Basketball Women’s National Team at the Footprint Center in Phoenix for a sold-out game on July 20.
Six-time All-Star A’ja Wilson of the Las Vegas Aces headlines the Team USA squad for the 20th All-Star game. Joining Wilson are six-time All-Star Breanna Stewart (New York Liberty), 11-time All-Star Diana Taurasi (Phoenix Mercury) and 10-time All-Star Brittney Griner (Mercury).
This will be the second time the All-Star game will feature the USA Basketball vs. Team WNBA format.
In 2021, Team WNBA defeated Team USA 93-85 in Las Vegas prior to the Tokyo Olympics.
The All-Stars were chosen by fans (50% of the vote), current WNBA players (25%) and a national panel of broadcasters and sportswriters (25%).
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