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EDD, A'ja voted captains for WNBA All-Star Game, other starters announced

Ned Dishman / National Basketball Association / Getty

The captains for the 2019 WNBA All-Star Game will be Elena Delle Donne of the Washington Mystics and A'ja Wilson of the Las Vegas Aces, the league announced Thursday.

As in previous years, Delle Donne and Wilson will take turns building their respective teams through a classic schoolyard-style draft.

Host city Las Vegas will be well-represented during the star-studded spectacle on July 27, with guard Kayla McBride and center Liz Cambage joining Wilson among the starter selections. The Aces currently lead the WNBA with a 10-5 record after stumbling to a 14-19 mark in 2018.

The starters will also include two representatives from the reigning champion Seattle Storm - Jewell Loyd and Natasha Howard - who have kept the team afloat at 8-8 despite the serious injuries afflicting reigning MVP Breanna Stewart and future Hall of Famer Sue Bird.

The entire pool of starters, ranked by number of All-Star appearances, are below:

POS NAME TEAM #
F Elena Delle Donne Mystics 6
C Brittney Griner Mercury 6
C Liz Cambage Aces 3
G Kayla McBride Aces 3
G Chelsea Gray Sparks 3
C Jonquel Jones Sun 2
G Jewell Loyd Storm 2
F A'ja Wilson Aces 2
F Natasha Howard Storm 1
G Kia Nurse Liberty 1

The starters were determined through weighted balloting, with 50 percent determined by the fan vote, 25 percent by media members, and 25 percent by WNBA players.

DeWanna Bonner actually tied her Phoenix Mercury teammate Griner for the final spot among frontcourt players, but the latter received the starting berth due to a higher ranking in fan balloting. The third pillar of Phoenix's star trifecta, all-time WNBA points leader Diana Taurasi, finished 10th among guards despite yet not appearing in a game in 2019 as she recovers from back surgery.

The 12 reserves will be selected by WNBA coaches and announced on July 15.

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