Voting Ballot for 2024 WNBA All-Star Game
The 2024 WNBA All-Star Game will be hosted in Phoenix this summer. It will be the Team WNBA vs USA Olympic team. Breaking down the 10 votes I submitted for the 2024 WNBA All-Star Game.
The USAB team was announced earlier this year. The players included Napheesa Collier (Minnesota Lynx), Kahleah Copper (Phoenix Mercury), Diana Taurasi (Phoenix Mercury), Chelsea Gray (Las Vegas Aces), Brittney Griner (Phoenix Mercury), Sabrina Ionescu (New York Liberty), Jewell Loyd (Seattle Storm), Kelsey Plum (Las Vegas Aces), Breanna Stewart (New York Liberty), Alyssa Thomas (Connecticut Sun), A’ja Wilson (Las Vegas Aces) and Jackie Young (Las Vegas Aces). The 2024 WNBA season will take a month break during mid-July to mid-August, to allow players to play for their country in Paris during the Olympics.
Even with the USAB team announced, media still submit 10 votes for the 2024 All-Star Game, the top six frontcourt players and top four backcourt players as you determine them to be acr, including perhaps those already named to the Olympic roster.
Once the top 10 vote-getters are collected, the players on USAB’s roster is removed and anybody in that top 10 who's not on USAB's roster automatically gets added to team WNBA. The next 36 highest vote-getters are provided to the WNBA head coaches, who will vote to fill the remaining spots on Team WNBA.
These are the 10 votes I submitted to the WNBA (alphabetical order).
FRONT COURT (6 players)
Napheesa Collier
Season: 21.4 points per game, 10.4 rebounds and 3.5 assists per game.
Collier is one of four players averaging a double-double and to lead the Lynx at the top of the Western Conference. The 6’1” forward ranks fourth in points per game and fourth in rebounds per game. Collier also ranks second in the league for steals per game (2.2) and tied for seventh in blocks per game (1.4).
Dearica Hamby
Season: 17.8 points per game, 10.5 rebounds and 3.5 assists per game.
Hamby is the leading candidate for Most Improved Player this season, showing she is one of the top players in this league. Hamby has the most defensive rebounds (150) in the league. The versatile forward is also one of four players to average a double-double this season.
Jonquel Jones
Season: 16.8 points per game, 8.8 rebounds per game, 3.4 assists per game
The 6’6” center leads the league in field goal percentage (59%) on 10.8 shots per game, including 43.6% from beyond the arc. Jones is having the best efficiency in a season thus far and finding a rhythm in the second season with the Liberty, displaying the skillset that made Jones a 4x all-star and MVP in Connecticut.
Breanna Stewart
Season: 19.7 points per game, 8.6 rebounds per game and 4.0 assists per game, 2.2 steals per game.
Stewart well-rounded games keeps her as one of the top players in the league annually. The 6’4” forward is second in offensive win shares and third in defensive win shares in the league. Stewart ranks fifth in points per game, 10th in rebounds per game, 13th in assists per game, fourth in steals per game and tied for seventh in blocks per game (1.4). The Liberty have the best record in the league and the reigning MVP continues to dominate opponents.
Alyssa Thomas
Season: 12.1 points per game, 9.5 rebounds per game and 7.6 assists per game.
Thomas is the engine for the Sun on both sides of the court. That trait makes AT a huge reason the team sits with the second best record in the league. Thomas leads the WNBA in assists per game, ranks fifth in rebounds per game, eighth in steals per game (1.6).
A’ja Wilson
Season: 28.0 points per game, 11.3 rebounds per game and 2.5 assists per game, 2.4 blocks per game and 1.9 steals per game.
The leading candidate for MVP this season, Wilson, is just on another level. Ever since she was voted 4th in MVP voting by a media person, still a huge mystery who that is, Wilson has raised her game it has been special to see. Another title and Finals MVP run leading into this season, where she is averaging a career high in points per game, rebounds per game, steals per game and blocks per game. The 6’4” post leads the league in points per game, rebounds per game, blocks per game, PER and win shares. Wilson is one of four players to average a double-double this season.
BACK COURT (4 players)
Kahleah Copper
Season: 22.6 points per game, 4.4 rebounds per game, 2.4 assists per game.
Copper has had a short transition in Phoenix, as she ranks third in points per game. You are guaranteed certified buckets when you watch the 6’1” guard play and that’s what the All-Star Game represents.
Sabrina Ionescu
Season: 19.3 points per game, 4.3 rebounds per game, 6.7 assists per game.
Ionescu is quietly having a great season, averaging a career high in points per game, assists per game. The 5’11 guard ranks third in assists per game, seventh in points per game. Ionescu continues to get better each season, also a very good rebounder for her size.
Arike Ogunbowale
Season: 23.9 points per game, 4.7 rebounds per game, 5.1 assists per game, 2.6 steals per game.
Ogunbowale has always put points on the board but I am voting for her predominately for her improving her game outside of scoring. Ogunbowale is averaging a career high in rebounds per game, assists per game and steals per game. Although effiency could be better, I give Ogunbowale a pass this season as she has had so many starters injured this season. The 5’8” guard has had to take the most shots and minutes in her career to keep the team afloat just to stay in games, she is averaging a career high in points per game, ranks second in the league this season. Ogunbowale ranks ninth in assists per game and first in steals per game.
Jackie Young
Season: 18.4 points per game, 4.7 rebounds per game, 5.7 assists per game.
Young is a quiet person but her game is loud. The 6’0” guard continues to show the value she brings to the reigning champions, Aces. Young is averaging a career high in points per game, assists per game and rebounds per game. Young ranks eighth in points per game and sixth in assists per game. I am not worried about the dip in three-point percentage for Young as point guard Chelsea Gray was out with an injury. You expect to see Young back off-the-ball more, which will bring her three-point percentage up with more open shots being set up by Gray but you saw Young take on more usage and display a 2.4 assist-to-turnover ratio.
