The WNBA announced a handful of tweaks to its All-Star Game format, including changes to both the voting and roster selection processes.
"This bold and innovative approach to Verizon WNBA All-Star provides an opportunity to put the best of the best in our showcase event," WNBA president Lisa Borders said in a release from the league.
Mirroring a change made to the NBA All-Star Game this past season, rosters will now be drafted by two team captains. However, whereas the NBA's team captains this past year were from different conferences - the Golden State Warriors' Stephen Curry and the Cleveland Cavaliers' LeBron James - the WNBA All-Star captains will be the two top vote-receivers, regardless of conference. Theoretically, the captains could be from the same team.
It is unclear whether the All-Star team draft will be broadcast. The lack of transparency when Curry and James drafted their respective teams behind closed doors was a common criticism of the format.
Additionally, unlike the men's circuit, the All-Star player pool will not necessarily be comprised of an equal number of players from each conference. Instead, the 22 All-Stars will be selected regardless of conference affiliation, with the top nine guards and top 13 frontcourt players earning the honor.
When casting their ballots, fans will select 10 players, regardless of position or conference. The overall weighting of All-Star votes will be divided into four groups, with fans comprising 40 percent of the vote, WNBA players accounting for 20 percent, another 20 percent for WNBA coaches, and the final 20 percent determined by a panel of sportswriters and broadcasters. Players and coaches cannot vote for players from their own squad.
The 2018 All-Star Game is set to tip off July 28 in Minneapolis.
