The 2024 WNBA All-Star Team was announced Tuesday night, weeks before the All-Star Game itself will take place in Phoenix. The format is that All-Stars from the USA Basketball Women’s National Team will compete versus the WNBA All-Stars voted in by fans, media, and coaches. There was tons of discussion regarding whether Caitlin Clark would make the National Team, and there was tons of fanfare afterward when the guard didn’t make the cut in June. Instead, Clark made the 12-player WNBA All-Star Team. And so did Chicago Sky rookie Angel Reese.
It’s the first time since 2014 that two rookies will be in the Game.
“I don't think I've ever been [Reese’s] teammate before, even with USA Basketball,” Clark said Tuesday. “So I know people are gonna be really excited about it, but I hope it doesn’t take away from everybody else. Like, this is a huge accomplishment for everybody on Team USA and everybody on Team WNBA… I don't want it to… just be the focal point of All-Star Weekend.”
Clark and Reese are the frontrunners for the Rookie of the Year Award. Clark became the fastest rookie to reach 300 points, 100 rebounds, and 100 assists. She leads all rookies in assists per game and 3-pointers. On the other hand, Reese leads all players in rebounds per game and has strung together an impressive 11 consecutive double-doubles as of late.
All-Star status can’t be a criterion for deciding Rookie of the Year anymore. They’re both there!
Fever-Aces brings large crowd
To no surprise, the Las Vegas Aces moved Tuesday night’s matchup with the Indiana Fever from Michelob Ultra Arena to T-Mobile Arena. The result? The fifth-most attended regular season game in WNBA history, with an announced crowd of 20,366. Including the playoffs, it was the most-attended matchup since 2007. Caitlin Clark could tell the vibe was different than ever.
“It was probably one of the best we've had, from like an energy standpoint,” Clark said after the Fever lost to the Aces, 88-69. “The amount of people here watching warm-ups. I feel like that’s when I can kind of get a gauge on how good the crowd is or how excited they are about the game… tonight, it just felt very different. There were mobs of people watching us warm up.”
Clark’s allure has already ushered in sellouts and large crowds. Right before tip-off was when the WNBA All-Stars were announced. Clark and teammates Kelsey Mitchell and Aliyah Boston all made it. It marked the second straight appearance for the latter non-rookies. Clark wound up as the leader in fan voting. Boston came in second. Together, they garnered 1,319,415 votes.
Reese finished in fifth.
Caitlin Clark, Fever All-Stars go to work but it’s not enough
Mitchell led all Fever scorers with 23 points Tuesday, draining five 3-pointers to match her season high. Boston’s double-double comprised of 18 points and 11 rebounds in support, and she was the lone Indiana player to shoot better than 50% from the field. Clark’s 13 points were third, but her 1-for-7 3-point clip represented many players with inefficient performances.
Clark’s 11 assists redeemed some of it. There were pockets where the Fever’s offense looked dynamic and fluid with the rookie’s help. But other times it looked flat. Indiana only trailed by six points going into the fourth quarter at the back-to-back champions. Then? The Fever only scored five points midway through the fourth. Too many Las Vegas players were left open.
Kelsey Plum hit six 3-pointers for 34 points. A’ja Wilson scored 28 points too. The Fever declined to 8-13, concluding their five-game road trip at the midway point of the season. The Fever next welcome the New York Liberty on Saturday afternoon. They are 0-3 versus New York.
“I think that we've made strides in a lot of different areas that not a lot of people can appreciate,” Mitchell said reflecting on the first half of the season. “Us 12 did a really good job from game to game, learning each other as best as we possibly could, respecting each other as we possibly could, and building a good culture. I think at game 21, we made really big strides in that area.”
“I think it contributes to us winning,” Mitchell added.
The Fever have won six of their last 10 games.
But while they may have three All-Stars, the Aces have four Olympians.
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